Starting Christmas Traditions...

Last year, I felt robbed.  Our school district changed the instructional calendar so first semester finals come right before the winter/Christmas break.  It sounds good for kids to not have to study over winter break and just be able to relax...but I did not like it.  My biggest complaint had been that I wanted July and August for summer vacation.  It's silly, but I'd rather be in school in June and out for all of August.  No point...just what I would prefer.  Now, I hate the change for what it does to my holiday lead up.  Because of finals, there is no time for family traditions.  Every evening is promised to end of term concerts, projects, studying or tests.  It stinks.  Last year we didn't get to do most of our usual holiday traditions.  We didn't see the lights at the temple.  We didn't take in any theater or ballet performances.  We didn't do our 12 days of Christmas Secret Santa.  We didn't drive around looking at Winter Wonderlands (house lights in our neighborhood).  We didn't see the Creche exhibit in Palo Alto.  We didn't...we didn't...we didn't.  I kept saying "as soon as school is out..."  but then school was out and two days later it was Christmas.  There was no time for traditions.  I hated it and it made me sad.  Additionally, I wasn't prepared for Christmas.  I kept thinking there would be time once the kids were out of school...but Christmas was there!  So I was rushed for shopping and felt stressed and annoyed.  

This year, I knew finals were not changing.  I knew we'd have kid concerts and projects to attend to every night.  I was determined to be ready early.  So, I've been shopping and planning and trying to be ready.  We still wont be able to do most of our traditions because finals take precedent...but hopefully, I wont be so stressed and annoyed.   

We got started the second weekend after Thanksgiving.  The first weekend was Adell's birthday so we needed to give that its proper due.  

First we got the tree!  

We decorated the tree and put the measuring tree up.  All of the kids picked out an ornament they were satisfied with (except Adell) so we figured we'd get the actual measuring done!  Last year, it happened in February! 

We measured the kids middle out, so we started with Clare. 

Then Adell:

Then Wyatt:
And for the first time in his life, he was the tallest ornament on the tree!

Then Colter:

And finally Lorien:

Where we discovered that Wyatt was no longer the tallest ornament on the tree...but he and Lorien were the exact same height!  Exciting news.  If we had waited until February, maybe Wyatt would have been taller. 

Lorien tried to get a kids only photo of tree decorating but Colter wouldn't cooperate.  So she photo shopped him in.

Our tree is lovely and I have confidence in my Christmas Matrix.  I will be able to get everyone's presents and enjoy the holidays before Christmas actually gets here.