The day after Thanksgiving my lovely wife left to go shopping in the wee hours of the morning. By 9 a.m., Cari had already completed 3/4ths of all our Christmas shopping!
When she got home, we made all the kids go to their rooms as we unloaded the car and moved all the gifts into our bedroom.
It takes a few hours, but after we've sorted it all out and wrapped oodles of presents, we called the kids upstairs. It's their job to carry the gifts down to the tree.
This is probably their most favorite chore of the whole year...
A whole caravan makes their way down the stairs, with Nalani and Malia trying to lift one together...
In Kekoa's case, one of his presents is almost as big as he is...
Then David takes it upon himself to organize them under the tree...
That all happened a few days ago. Tonight was stocking night.
Every Christmas, we all decorate our own stockings with glitter glue. Here is everyone moments before the madness begins...
Then we all got down to work...
It's an old Wisconsin German tradition for Saint Nick to fill your stockings on December 6th. Cari's from Green Bay, Wisconsin, of course, so this this was the norm for her and everyone she knew. I grew up in Hawaii, but my mother is from Manitowoc, Wisconsin and she brought this practice with her to Hawaii.
Of course, we were the only people in Hawaii that I ever knew to open our stockings on December 6th. But hey, what's wrong with being unique?
Our house is now all set for December 6th...
We've adapted the tradition (and the story) a bit. In our home, Santa comes during the night of December 5th to pick up the kids' Christmas lists - leaves a few treats in the stockings - then return on Christmas eve to fulfill some of those wishes.
Hey, it works for us!
Posts
