Green Cheesy Potatoes and a Christmas Spanking: Old and New Holiday Traditions

Every family has it's own holiday traditions.  Bucko and I have lived together for about six years.  (We will be married for 3 years in May.) Since the beginning of that time, we have considered ourselves to be a family and have tried to create family traditions for us to carry on with our kids someday.  Most of these traditions are a blend of our respective family traditions.  Though we grew up together, our families are very different and some of these traditions have become a bit silly, but we love them all the same.

My favorite traditions are the ones that are all our own.  We buy a Christmas ornament for the tree each year that represents what has happened in our life over the course of the year.  It started with the "Our First Christmas Together" ornament Bucko gave me as one of my Christmas presents that first year.  These ornaments are very special and I take great care in unwrapping them and handing them to Bucko to hang on the tree.  (And I've only moved them, because he hung them in the wrong spot a time or two.  I didn't do it at all this year.)

The tradition of Green Cheesy Potatoes started as a joke.  I'm the baker in our family, and Christmas Eve usually finds me in the kitchen covered in flour singing Christmas songs.  Well Bucko, has this funny habit.  He likes to eat.  Being diabetic cookies can't be dinner so we had to come up with something easy that wouldn't make more of a mess in the kitchen than what already exists.  Cheesy Potatoes is the affectionate name we have given to a simple box recipe we often have for dinner on lazy nights in the Bucko household.  It is boxed scalloped or au gratin potatoes with smoked sausage on top.  It's fabulous on Christmas Eve, because it bakes at the same temperature as the cookies so I don't need to adjust the oven.  As a joke that first year, I suggested we use food coloring to make it green so it would look like a Christmas tree.  Bucko was all for the idea and eagerly started applying food coloring.  (Picture a little kid that gets to help.  It was VERY green that first year.) It worked out well and has become a tradition ever since.

This year I have been informed that there will be a new Christmas tradition at our house.  At some point, before we start doing all the family stuff there will be a Christmas Eve spanking.  This is one of those thoughts that crept into my head long before we started TTWD.  I'm very distracted by knowing this is coming.  I find myself day dreaming and wondering how close this will be to the fantasies I've had.  I'm picturing something light and fun with the Christmas tree in the background.  Maybe then it would lead to other fun Christmas activities... Stopping there before we all need a water break.  I don't know how this will go since it hasn't happened yet, but I am excited about our new life and this seems very fitting to me.

I would love to hear about some of your Christmas traditions, DD related or not, and I promise a follow up to this post to fill in some of the blanks and reflect on our new tradition.

To those of you traveling, please be safe.  To all enjoy your time with family and friends.  I want to thank everyone who has joined me on this journey.  I look forward to your comments and encouragement.  They have helped Bucko and me more than you know.  Even if you don't comment, it's just nice to know someone is out there listening. One of the best presents I received this year was all of you.  Merry Christmas, everyone!