Chaloupek Family Traditions

There are several family traditions that we celebrate during the Christmas season.  Some are fun, some are corny and some are just important to me or Jason so we do them.  Allison really caught on to the word tradition and the fact that we do the same things each year.  So now we have some new "Chaloupek family traditions" including kid performances on the karaoke machine, jamming on the kid guitar and writing down the dialogue and lyrics of a favorite movie for later performance...  All these new traditions are joyful in and of themselves, but these are a few of our real traditions and some of my favorites of the season.

Thanks to our Jacksonville neighbors, we got a picture with Santa this year!  Santa comes to their annual Christmas party so we got to avoid the long mall lines this year!

A silly family photo with a Christmas theme.  New for this year, but I think I will continue this!  So fun!

Placing the star on the tree.  This year it was Jack's turn.  It was his first time placing the final decoration on the tree.  He was so proud!

Making Christmas cookies for Santa.  Aunt Nessa and Uncle Cory were in town and got to help in every step of developing the perfect sugar cookies to leave out for Santa!

 Aunt Nessa and Uncle Cory also brought a gingerbread house with them to decorate with the kids.  We usually do this around Thanksgiving, but with them spending turkey day in New York and our move we saved it for Christmas Eve. 

Papa Tuck came in early on Christmas Eve, so he was in charge of spreading the icing.  He had lots of stories to tell and the kids enjoyed having him around.

The finished product!  Both Allison's and Jack's visions were realized in the completed gingerbread house.  This was our centerpiece for three weeks after Christmas until the candy pieces started dive bombing off of the roof.

Reading "The Night Before Christmas" is a tradition from my childhood that is continued today even though we are adults.  Now, I read it on Christmas Eve to my children. 

And finally setting out the cookies and milk for Santa!  A perfect end to a perfect Christmas Eve Day! After the stockings are hung by the chimney with care and the cookies and milk are all prepared, it is off to bed for the little nose pickers who hope for a big haul of gifts when they come downstairs!