Holiday

Growing up, my family didn’t necessarily have traditions for the holidays. We always woke up to my mom cooking Christmas dinner while we opened up Christmas gifts or we always went to my grandmother's house to celebrate with family. However, we didn't have what some people consider holiday traditions like Elf on the Shelf, Chinese food the night before Thanksgiving, reading A Cajun Christmas book every year, going around the table to say what you are thankful for, making homemade ornaments every Christmas or buying certain types of ornaments every year. My husband is an only child and comes from a smaller family while I come from a mother who is one of ten, so lots of aunts and...

I don’t toss around the term “regret” often, but if I could press "Reset" on our parenting, I’d reconsider Santa Claus. At the very least we’d start smaller, maybe just the three gifts. We’d dial back how much we committed to the myth. At best, we wouldn’t have done Santa at all. It wasn’t until after we’d begun the Santa myth with our oldest child that I even considered the option. I had grown up in a very Santa-friendly home; everyone I knew had grown up believing in Santa (until they didn’t). I guess I never thought that avoiding it was an option. As I saw others raising children, I realized how many were opting out. The more I considered...

November is the month in which most American families celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. A holiday full of warmth, family, friends, and an abundance of food. It’s supposed to have that proverbial table that’s long enough to seat everyone and make them feel invited. Dishes are passed around, willingly shared, as everyone lists the reasons for which they are grateful. A prayer is said to the heavens above and everyone eats until they are full. Sometimes, afterward, there is a gathering of football fans in front of the television set. In a perfect world, Uncle Roger doesn’t mention that the women who’ve cooked all day should also do the dishes and Aunt Edna squeezes you into a hug, listing some positive...

As much as I love Christmas, right now I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. It's a whole season of its own. And in that spirit, I like to reflect during the whole month about things and people that I am thankful for. Some people have a thing that they list each day in November that they are thankful for, so that the whole month is about gratitude. What if we took this a step further and showed the gratitude clearly to others? This year, I am going to sit down with my kids and brainstorm different people and experiences that we are thankful for. Then we are going to decide how we can show that gratitude. Maybe it is making a card,...

Even though the candy will last for months, Halloween is officially behind us. I love the season for its fun and energy. My kids embrace any excuse to dress up, and I welcome any chance to hoard more Reese’s. But if I’m going to be honest, I’m glad to see it go. And it’s not just because I’m ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas (“the MOST wonderful time of the year!”); it’s also because I’m done with all things scary. I’m a ninny. I’ll say it loud and proud and shout it from the mountain-tops. I. Don’t. Do. Scary. Of course, there was a time when I flocked to all things spooky and creepy! My best friend and I hit every Wes...