15 December 2010

Advent Calendar: The Holiday Happenings!

I don't know what I was thinking to have both of my children close to Christmas!  (I guess March was a cold month!)  Both of my children have birthdays near Christmas.  My daughter, Kirsten, was born December 19th and my son, Travis, was born January 6th.  Travis' due date was actually December 25th.


Kirsten and Dad, 1st Birthday

Kirsten was born during a snow storm.  We lived in a small town, Deckerville, in the thumb of Michigan.  The hospital was a very short drive, 1 minute, from our apartment.  Kirsten was born at 11:27pm.  In the morning when I looked outside it was like a picture from a Christmas card.  Snow draped trees were glistening.  My husband bought me a gold snowflake pendant necklace and brought it to the hospital in remembrance of her birth.  Our first Christmas with a baby was wonderful.


Travis with his birthday paper wrapped gifts on his 1st birthday

We had moved the fall that I was pregnant for Travis.  We were living in Harbor Springs, Michigan which is in the Northwestern part of Michigan.  The nearest hospital was about 15 miles away.  I was thankful we had a mild winter that year.  Although, when my husband took the railroad tracks a little fast, I thought I would deliver him in the car.  When he was ready to be born, he wasn't going to wait!  This time I received a beautiful sapphire ring, which is my birthstone.

One of the things I made sure of was to make their birthdays special.  These are my tips for making December birthdays special:
  1. Use birthday wrapping paper, not Christmas paper. 
  2. Make their day as special as you would if it was held any other time of the year.
  3. Let them choose what kind of birthday cake they want.  One year my daughter wanted a reindeer cake, but most of the time she wanted a birthday cake.
  4. Decorate for their birthday.  Yes, the tree is up but make the table, their chair, the dining room birthday festive.  Put balloons up, let them know that their day is special.
  5. Relax and enjoy their birthday.  It doesn't matter what is left to do on your Christmas list.  It is their day.

2 comments:

  1. One of my husbands pet peaves is to tell him on his birthday (dec 16) to just choose a present form under the tree!! I cannot believe his family would acually say that! I say it as a joke a couple days before his birthday... something like "I am too busy right now to shop...so this year..". But every year I make his birthday special. It is his day.
    Regards,
    Theresa (tangled trees)

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  2. Good for you! I am happy you make his day special.

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