Sienna's 1st Christmas

We had a wonderful 1st Christmas as a family of THREE

well four, if you count the the little gremlin who is trying to bite me for sticking a Santa hat on him- it made for a cute candid shot atleast :)

Christmas Eve was by far our busiest day, filled with lots of  food and little traditions that make the busyness all worth it. 

So many of my Christmas memories are centered around my mom, that sometimes the holidays feel empty without her. But these traditions, the pieces of our lives I'll always have with me to carry on for years to come in my new family and hopefully Sienna will do the same.

Christmas day we got up early, certainly not our choice but we dont have control of how long we get to sleep anymore...someone else is in charge of that, its a good thing shes cute.

I woke up craving pancakes, not just any pancakes...but thick fluffy ones! yum. So hubby whipped some up while I got Sienna dressed cute to open gifts.

 

We decided to keep her gifts simple and to a minimum and we will continue to do so every Christmas.

why?

 1. I know she would be way more interested in the wrapping paper this year 

2. I don't want her growing up thinking Christmas revolves solely around gifts and setting expectations.

I want my daughter to growing up believing in love, empathy, kindness, the simple things that make the holidays...not a toy store worth of gifts that she doesnt really need and wont appreciate because of their sheer abundance.

It makes me really sad that so many kids have nothing, they will receive nothing and yet other children receive everything and appreciate nothing...I see it happen all the time.

When I was little & lived in Poland, my parents did not shower us with gifts... Santa came and brought a gift or two per child...just getting markers & a coloring book made me truly happy, and I learned to appreciate what I had and I think those lessons are ever lasting.

My best memories of Christmas as a child were not gifts...but going sledding with my siblings, my dad going out in the forest and bringing us a tree, caroling.

I know I am able to give my children everything I never had, and everything I always wished for...I could, but I wont. I think the lessons I can teach them will be way more meaningful than getting every toy they ever wanted.

So no, I was not one of those parents who spent hundreds of dollars on her toys. She got 2 toys and they're plenty enough....she gets showered with love, not gifts :)

 

 

first Christmas pierogi! - so glad she loves mamas cooking!