Category Archives: Holiday

Losing Control of Christmas Traditions

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Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree

Yesterday, we did a two for oner!   We did both of our biggest Christmas Traditions on the same day!

We cut down our Christmas Tree, and we did our big pre-Christmas dinner!

We normally don’t do this because both events are big enough that they should be separate, but we are pressed for time this year.

This time, I decided to do something different with the decision-making process around both traditions!  Instead of picking which tree for our house and where to go for Christmas Dinner, I decided to open it up to the kids (my wife and I both have made the decisions in the past).  So I let my son pick out the tree this year and my daughter decided where to go for Christmas dinner!

While the tree my son choose wasn’t one that I would have picked, it still was decent enough, and was a fine choice!   He had the privilege of cutting it down (lucky him)!  However, he chose to cut it down about 6 inches too high, so when we got home, the tree will be the smallest one we ever had (lol).  Hopefully, he nor my daughter will notice!

We lucked out with my daughter, she whittled down her choice for the Christmas dinner to the “Fighter Group” restaurant and “Red Lobster“.  In the end she decided to stick with tradition and go with the “Fighter Group” restaurant.

So with both Christmas Traditions, I let the kids make the decision as to the direction of the traditions!  I think this will be better for their involvement in the process, and help them feel more important!

If you have kids, do you try to promote leadership and decision-making qualities?

-MR

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Christmas Tradition #2, The Christmas Dinner

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Christmas Tradition #2

Last year I mention my favorite Christmas Tradition, which is getting the Christmas Tree from a tree farm!

This year I’m going to mention my other Christmas Tradition, which is taking the family out to eat as a fancier restaurant.

That said, we have mostly gone to a “Fighter Group type” of restaurant!  If you’re not familiar with such a place, it’s basically an old fashion airforce restaurant that is close in proximity to a functional airport.

Fighter Group Restaurant

Fighter Group Restaurant

For me personally, I enjoy the simple, but tasty beer cheese soup!  And while the place has decent enough food, we are really going for the atmosphere of the restaurant!

The kids are constantly amazed seeing the huge jets taking off and come in for a landing from the restaurant building!

My wife (who initially wasn’t crazy about the place) now looks forwards to event!  I wish I could remember what she typically get, I think it’s come kind of chicken combo!

So What Makes It So Special?

First as you pull into the parking lot, you’ll see old army jeeps and trucks in the yard.  A few cannons and a bomb that didn’t detonate!

Next you’ll notice that the door is held shut by sandbags and pulleys.

As you enter the dinning area, you’ll notice the Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra Christmas songs!

They also have a huge fireplace with a huge mantle…

It’s just a  fun type all the way aronnd!

A Modern Norman Rockwell Like, Trick-Or-Treat Night

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3 Witches

Girl Witches

Tonight, I lived though another neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Night!  Much like all of the previous Trick-Or-Treat nights, this one also reminded me of a scene from a modern Normal Rockwell painting.

Rockwell-like classic scenes on this cool Trick-Or-Treat night:

  • A few boys were running from house to house to collect as much candy as possible (it’s always boys, funny huh).
  • One boy dressed as a monster while another boy dressed as his girlfriend.  Always funny and actually quite brave of the boy dressing as the girl.
  • A few small groups of teenage girls, starting to become women, showing off how attractive they were in their Brittney Spears like schoolgirl costumes.
  • A large group of young girls all wearing similar costumes, this year it was a fairy theme, very cute.
  • The classic dad pulling his very tired, young children in a wagon up to the doorstep to collect candy.  What  a good dad!
  • A few horror themed monster (Jason, Freddy, etc) kids that always said thank you very politely after getting candy.

So what did my kids go as? 

My daughter chose to be a witch!  She embellished the costume with green makeup on her face, and colored her hair black via a spray can.  She also had “Wizard of Oz” striped witch stockings and an authentic looking twig broom.  She was adorable, if I may say so myself.

My son almost didn’t go, but at the last-minute, he dress as a soccer player (which he is), and went out and had a great time.  I was glad he changed his mind, Trick-Or-Treat is one of those things that have an unspoken age limit.

So why am I writing about this experience?  Because it has a lot of value that once my kids are grown, it’s not the same!  This is something worth spending money on while my kids are young enough to enjoy this Halloween holiday tradition…

Limited time events like trick-or-treat should be taken advantage of while you (or really your kids) are young, because it’s a short lived and once it’s over… it’s over! 

For those of you that are parents, your maximum enjoyment in the event is also limited !  Make the most of it while your kids are kids!!!

Have a great Trick-Or-Treat night!

-MR

My Perfectly Frugal Fathers Day

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As a father of 2 children (9 year old boy and a 6 year old girl),  I always thought that “Fathers Day” was about me!  Ordering the kids around on Fathers Day … “Hey son, get me the paper” or “Daughter, get me my slippers” almost seemed like that thing to say.  Afterall, it’s my day and I’m in charge (imagine my evil laugh… Mwahahahaahhaha).  Of course, I’ve never do that, but I can see where Dads could easily assume that’s what Fathers Day was about.  But yesterday (much like when the Grinch’s heart grewing 3 sizes that day), I’ve come to realize that Fathers Day is about my kids and the memories we can create together.

I want my kids to look back and think of me with fond memories someday, and if I do this parenting thing right, I get to enjoy the experience along the way too ;).  So from now on, Fathers Day will be about me trying to create some great memories on that day with my kids.  And that is what I did this Fathers Day!

Here is my list of our frugal Fathers Day activities.

  • Opened my Fathers Day present, which was a new portable Fire Pit (Dad acted reasonable excited)
  • Went to pickup McDonalds breakfast for the kids
  • With help from the entire family, we moved our old furniture back into the Family Room, letting my son and daughter help with moving and decision making
  • Packed up and went swimming at the grandparents.
  • Swam as certain monsters (shark, blob and Orca).
  • Was an Orca Daddy to my younger daughter.  And let the kids ride on the Orca
  • Watch Kids play as a trainer and dog trying to learn to swim.
  • (Helped Grandparents with some manual labor, digging and moving dirt took at least an hour… yuck)
  • Let son take 2 small wheelbarrows of dirt to dirt pile.
  • When home and kept an eye on my son while he started up the fire pit (we got the wood for free from grandpa)
  • My wife made pizza pies to cook over the fire pit.
  • Daughter and I weeded and water the flower bed (from mother’s day)
  • Son cooked the pizza pies over the firepit
  • We all at the pizza pies and toasted marshmallows.
  • Son and Daughter threw the ball for our dog to chase (until the dog got tired and stopped).
  • The kids and dad went on a lightning bug (or firefly) hunt.  We caught about 15  lightning bugs and put them in a bug container for my daughter to watch at night.
  • Played with kids right before they went to bed.

And that was my Fathers Day, other than the McDonalds meal, it was a very frugal Fathers Day, but one filled with fond memories.  Its funny how watching my kids playing or working reminds me of Normal Rockwell scenes… except better! 

In my mind, I took so many great photos of the kids doing various things today!

 This was by far the greatest Fathers Day I ever had!!!

-MR