In the almost nine years Julie and I have been married (our anniversary being on the 29th of December), each Christmas has brought an increasing level of importance. During our 1st Christmas we had just moved from Detroit to Grand Rapids, were pregnant with David, and were about to celebrate our first anniversary. I still remember getting the tree and dragging it home on top of the old white 1989 Ford Crown Victoria (that hood really seemed to go on forever). Being just the two of us we decorated the tree, got each other some presents and Christmas came and went. Then the next year we now had a third Zilkie and it was David's first Christmas. Once again we got a real tree and this time we seemed to pay extra attention to the holiday because it was David's first Christmas. In fact we still have video of him licking the wrapping paper of the gifts he had received.
Each year since as our children have grown in maturity and understanding, and as we have added to the number of children we have (yes we know how that happens), Christmas has grown in importance. My ability to see Christmas through their eyes with all of its joy and wonder has been a major component of that growth. As Julie and I reflected back on our childhoods and the various Christmas traditions we had when we were little we wanted to build many, many of our own traditions that our children would look back on fondly and remember. For us Zilkies, Christmas now begins long before Christmas day or Christmas Eve even. Christmas begins the weekend after Thanksgiving when we get out the tree (we stopped buying fresh in 2004 and found a GREAT artificial tree which we still use today) and begin decorating it together. The children love this and each year we add meaningful and sentimental ornaments commemerating our children and the stages of life they find themselves in each particular year.
For example, several years ago Julie baked some gingerbread men and then coated them in some kind of preservant so that they could hang as ornaments and last over the years. Well, when Jonathan was almost 2 back in 2005 he took a bite out of one of those "cookies". This year as we once again hung the one-legged gingerbread man we were able to remember back and remind Jonathan, who is now almost 6, that he ate the leg off 4 years ago. It provided a wonderful laugh and brought a sheepish smile to his face. Caroline however, then wanted to eat the other leg and the two legs off the other gingerbread man as well. We had to gently yet firmly instruct her that this should not happen and that it would not be nearly as funny either.
The tree is now up, looking almost the same as it has each year and we love it. Our children are going to grow up and remember what our/their tree looks like and it will bring them much joy when they return and see it then the same as it was when they were children. In the meantime, we are vigilantly watching the gingerbread men ornaments, hoping their remaining legs persevere another Christmas season.
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