Traditiooooooooon.......Tradition

Every year, I get each member of my family an ornament that symbolizes something significant that happened to them. It's kind of become a tradition and I love it; especially when we decorate and pull each one out and remember the year. This year, instead of going to the mall and buying them, I decided to make them. (Because I hate going shopping at the mall unless I'm desperate...especially this time of year). After hunting through mom's craft closet to find the polymer clay and stuff, I got to work. We couldn't find the pasta machine to help knead the clay to an easy molding consistency so I had to do it all by hand...at first. Boy, were my hands exhausted! When we finally found it, the work went a lot quicker and easier.

Dad - He ran for a seat on the School Board and won. His campaign signs, flyers, and handouts had a pencil as the main logo so I made a figurine of him holding a pencil. I think it turned out pretty well (and it's my favorite one). I was really nervous about doing the face because of my perfectionist tendencies and it had to look just right. You never realize how hard it is to make a human head - glad I'm not on that part of creation-duty. Luckily, I got it on the second try. Dad was pleased that I was generous with the hair on this little guy.

Mom - She is always the hardest to find an ornament for because she's always trying new things all the time, so the choice of topics to choose from are endless. This year, Mom and Dad are "empty-nesters" so the ornament speaks for itself. If it doesn't, let me explain. It features an egg-less nest with a mommy bird and a daddy bird. This one's not as lifelike as Dad's, but it's super fun. While I was making it, Baby Brother thought I was making feet standing in manure. Not quite!

Me - The most significant thing that happened to me this year was my study abroad so it was natural for my ornament to be a native London element. And hence the "Mind the Gap" logo. If you don't understand or recognize it, then you need to take trip. Okay, so I won't/can't be that mean. It is the phrase, well-known to any London traveler as the voice which rings out every time the "Tube" (subway) door open. What it really means is "watch out for that giant hole between the train and the platform".

Baby Brother - This year, he graduated high school so I made a graduation cap on top of a diploma. The second year of college gets an ornament featuring the school's mascot/logo...just to prove loyalty to one institution. This was the last ornament I made and at that point, my hands and brain were exhausted. It's not the most exciting or nearly as intricate as I had planned, but I'm still happy with how it turned out.

While I worked, we listened to old Christmas cassette tapes, and Mom decorated the tree. Usually I do the decorating, but this year I passed the job off to Baby Brother (since he'll be gone for the next 2 Christmases). But, as usual he ditched out on us and didn't get it done. Mom therefore took it upon herself. I haven't seen her do that in a long long time and it brought back memories. At least back to when the parentals would "dispute" while trying to direct the other how to put the lights on while Baby Brother and I argued over who got which stocking. With each ornament, she told me something about it; their first Christmas, ornaments from mom's world trips, my first baby ornament, bead icicles she and I made when I was little, our homemade noodle ornaments from school, and various school pictures in popsicle stick frames. She even set aside some of my favorite ornaments for "the future". I got a twinge of excitement for the day when I can decorate my very own tree in my very own home.