We have lots of family traditions. The kids get new pajamas every Christmas Eve (which I kind of thought I could let go for the older kids since they're all over 18 now but Eleanor let me know that was not an option.), We do the Elf on the Shelf with the Tornado (though our elf is really lazy and just hides at night. I have no interest in creating and than cleaning up pranks. The Tornado does really love finding him every morning though). We celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday because it just ends up being so much easier to coordinate. But none that are all that odd. Except for one...
We go to Chuck E. Cheese every New Year's Eve. Now I'm sure you thinking we're a bit nuts but it's awesome. For starters it's doesn't require a babysitter which are always hard to find on New Year's Eve. There's lots of different games that are fun for everyone and we're a competitive lot so we enjoy seeing who gets the most tickets. Also it's practically empty so you're not having to fight a mob of kids to get to every game. And some years the pizza is even pretty decent which is extra exciting.
We did take a few years off when the Tornado was a baby and the older kids and grown out of it but we've gone the last few years and it's still so much fun. I'm sure we only have a few more years of it with the Tornado before he decides he's to old but for right now it's a tradition we all look forward too.
I was going to post more photos but most of the ones I have everyone is looking very serious because they're concentrating. We take games very seriously around here!
So do you have any funny traditions?
I love that idea for New Year's Eve! It is so hard when you have young kids to really do anything out but that is a great idea!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tradition! We generally celebrate early--at East Coast time--and will bang pots and pans in the backyard calling out, "Happy New Year!" I'm sure the neighbors think we're nuts, but it's something my parents did with me when I was a child (except at midnight), and Mouse seems to enjoy it. Now that she's older, she remembers too and so the last couple of years she's asked if we can bang the pots and pans together. We're often in bed before midnight. I think my husband is the only one who may stay up past then.
ReplyDeleteYes, my mother used to let us bang pots and pans out the window when we were kids, and other neighbors did too. Better than firecrackers that a lot of my neighbors do now. Maybe because we lived in NYC then, maybe it's an old-time urban tradition?
DeleteThat's a good one! I can see that being a fun way to spend New Years Eve, and with the whole family rather than the going out thing. I haven't been to a Chuck E Cheeses in ages...
ReplyDeleteLol! Love this post!
ReplyDeleteThe pj tradition is practical, so yes, I see that. The New Years Eve at Chuck E. Cheese... great idea for a family to do something together. Hubs and I don't drink so we don't go out on NYE night, but the family used to take a nice afternoon hike every New Year's Eve afternoon, then stop for iced coffee or ice cream afterwards. Of course we lived in FL so it wasn't snowy and we were able to :)
I like the Thanksgiving on Friday idea. Better than not going to bed and going shopping before dawn on Black Friday...
LOL well that's a fun tradition. We've done holidays on weird days in the past and had a good time with it. Much easier battling crowds at the store and such.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you'll just have to move your game day New Years Eve to someplace like Dave & Busters that suits an older crowd? Because that sounds like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great New Year's tradition! Maybe one day you can do that with grand children, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Chuckie Cheese thing is a great idea I never thought about it being basically empty. My ex an I always thought it was strange how most of our friends viewed New Year's Eve as a chance to escape their kids. I think I am going to start doing the pajama thing every year as Sebastian's "something to wear" maybe if he gets enough sleep shirts he will start wearing one to bed! Aww... you should have posted the pictures anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun tradition of going to Chuck E. Cheese on New Year's Day. I also love that the older kids still expect PJs on Christmas Eve. That is when you know that tradition is a great one!
ReplyDeleteFor Christmas, we always celebrate w/my family every Christmas Eve and we host so it was great last year that everybody didn't mind driving down to our place. My girls still believe in Santa Claus. New Year's Eve we used to get together w/my fraternity brother and his family but now that we live farther away, that doesn't happen anymore. Thanksgiving is always at my mum's who cooks the turkey. And Chinese New Year is when I make sure everyone has his/her hair cut beforehand, we clean the whole house, I don't wash my hair the first day, and we sweep inwards for good luck.
ReplyDeleteYour New Year's tradition sounds fun. Never thought of that. These are all fun, we always opened gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and those from Santa on Christmas day.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of New Year's Eve at Chuck E. Cheese. I always told my kids that New Year's was an adult holiday, so my older kids always watch the kids. Your other holiday traditions sound fun to. I usually buy my kids pajamas for xmas, and the usually get to open that gift on xmas eve too. I might start incorporating the older kids into that tradition.
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