Thursday, October 15, 2009

Tradition.....tradition, dum du du du du du du

"Who day and night must scramble for a living, feed his wife and children, say the daily prayer? And who has the right as master of the house, to have the final word at home?
Tradition.....tradition!"

Okay, Okay! I'll stop. I would just like to go on record saying that Fiddler on the Roof is my all time favorite musical performance!

But, that's not what this post is about. It's about tradition, as in family tradition. As in the that thing that guide my house, my daily happenings, my weekly happenings and, more importantly, equality amongst my children.

As is tradition in our family, Avery got her first haircut right after her 2nd birthday, whether she needed it or not! She loved it! As you can see from the pictures....





Here's the thing about Traditions though. They help me parent. They help me remember what to do next, in the big scheme of things. For example: first haircuts, Halloween pictures, Birthday muffins, School pictures in front of the same door every year, our Easter Party, Friday nights at Grandma's, Tuesday Night Family night, the homework chairs.... the list could go on and on.
Sometimes I think, "why do I do this? Every year the same thing." But then I remember my family traditions growing up and it still give me a warm feeling inside, a small smile on my face and a renewed vigor to haul out those decorations and prepare for the holiday, or whatever Tradition faces me next.
The best part? Not only am I creating those warm memories for my kids (well, hopefully. As long as they can overlook my sometimes demanding, perfectionist way of making those traditions happen. Come on people, move!) I am also providing some stability, some peace of mind in knowing what comes next. In the crazy world we live in, with things changing around us sometimes too quickly and too often, it's nice to know that when you wake up on your birthday, you get muffins!
To all of my friends, who stick my those Traditions with the same zeal as me, fiddles off to you!