Christmas Traditions

On Sunday my 12 year old moaned, "Why don't we have any Christmas traditions?"

Me (defensive) : We totally have Christmas traditions.
Her:  What traditions?
Me:  We have ham and potatoes for Christmas dinner.
Her:  (Raised eyes, apparently food does not make a tradition.  It is just what you eat on Christmas.)
Me:  (Looking at the tree)  We wrap our presents in fabric every year.
Her:  That is just because you don't want to buy wrapping paper.
Me:  Noooo.  Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Her:  O. K.  (if you say so, mom, tone of voice)

 Me:  We make a Christmas ornament every year.  (Here is this year's made out of sequins stuck with pins into a styrofoam ball.)
Her:  Oh, yeah...we do.
Me:  And we make treats to bring to people.

(From left to right, princess angel, shepherd, tambourine angel, Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus and wise man.)

 Me:  And we read Luke 2 and act out the Nativity each Christmas Eve.  And Santa leaves you stuff in your stockings and we open presents!  (getting kind of desperate for traditions).
Her:  Ok.
She wasn't convinced, but traditions don't have to be big deals.  Just spending time with family can be the best tradition.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  :)

 On a quilting note, I have lucked out two years in a row at the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild holiday swap.  Last year I received the beautiful rectangular pillow in the back from Jill and this year I was lucky enough to get the square pillow from Amy.  (Amy, it has been loved, snuggled, thrown up on, washed and snuggled some more this month.  Thanks!)  Making and getting pillows is one tradition that I would like to keep going.  ;)

This is the pillow that I made for the holiday swap.  Remember those selvages that I sewed up during the summer?  I made this pillow out of them.  I love it and am going to make myself one next year.  (The trees are just raw edge appliqued on with the ticker-tape technique so they will have fuzzy edges.)

I hope you all had a great Christmas!  Stay safe and warm this holiday season!