I have written about this Christmas ornament tradition for kids in past years but wanted to post again for any new readers because I love this tradition my mother started for me as a little girl.
Every year since I was born, I got one special Christmas ornament. When I was too small to chose, my mom chose them for me. As I got older, I would get to pick out my yearly ornament and it would get written on our Christmas ornament sheet, documenting our selection and the year.
Through the years, the collection grew. A trolley car ornament from our trip to San Francisco, a cheerleader for the year I was on my first cheerleading team, a glass Christmas tree that sparkles against the tree lights that I still remember picking out and is still one of my favorites.
When I graduated college and moved into my first apartment with my own Christmas tree for the first time, my mom packed up all of my ornaments dating back to 1974 and gave them to me along with the list.
Every year to this day, my tree is decorated with childhood memories.
I am carrying on this tradition with my two girls and hope it means as much to them as it did to me! What holiday traditions do you do for your children?
[Photo credit: copyright 2005 trec_lit, Flickr]
My grandma made 18 years of Cristmas ornaments for ALL 14 of her grand kids! They are on my tree as I type. My mom has continued that with my boys, making them an ornament each year.
Every year I give an Angel ornament to my god children (3 of them), now that they are older they tell me how much they love seeing them when they decorate their trees! Not sure why I never thought to do it with my kids! I love how you kept a list! Thanks!
My husband and his siblings had the same tradition, which I started doing
with him while we were dating. It now has carried on to our son, and is one of our special Christmas outings every year-to pick out our ornaments. We write the name and year on each one.
There is something about special ornaments that are so sentimental every year.
I just love this! Especially how she documented each one as well!
I started buyng the personalized rudolph and me ornaments for my daughter each year when she was born in 09′. Its my favorite thing to do every year. I actually keep little sentiments from every special occasion each year in a chest that I hope to give her when she’s ready to leave the nest. I mark the dates on them too. Everyone thinks im crazy for doing it, but i enjoy it and thats all that matters. I wish my mother would of done something similar for me.
I read this post a long time ago and made a mental note to myself that I would start this tradition when I had children. I now have a 22 month old and a 2 month old and am now starting this beautiful tradition. Thank you so much for sharing, I love this!!!!!