new traditions

We are doing a few new things this year when it comes to Christmas.
First of all, we are buying just three presents each for the kids and each other.
Amanda did this last year and I loved the idea.
The three gifts of course representing what Jesus was given on his birth from the Wise men.
Don't get me wrong, three gifts is still plenty when you see the amount of presents the boys will have to open from all the family on Christmas morning.
But, it does make you really think about what you want to get them because you want each one to be special and have some meaning.
Secondly since we thought the boys might be able to figure out their presents a little easier this year we wanted to try something new. It's something my sister always does with her kids (using different names or code names on the gift tags) so they won't know until Christmas which presents are really for them. The great thing is they get to shake each and every one of them wondering if it's theirs or not.

Our three code names are Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Reindeer and The Grinch.

This is one group that my sister had used in the past and I thought it was perfectly fitting for my three. Of course each of the boys took a guess at who they thought they were. Cody asked if the names matched their own personalities while Luke was adamant from the start that he was The Grinch! When we asked Luke why he would think that he simply said, "Well I hate everything, my favorite color is green and I'm mean and nasty!" We just had to laugh, poor Luke and his attitude doesn't always show the great and awesome kid that he really is. Of course we didn't make him The Grinch because we knew that would be everyone's first thought so we made him Frosty instead! Ryan on the other hand is just for sure that he is Frosty because he loves snow just like Frosty does but instead we made him The Grinch. That name has been fitting to him lately because he has been in quite the mood. Of course that leaves Cody being Rudolph which nobody has picked for themselves to be but if you ask Cody he would say that he is probably Frosty.

Oh what fun it will be come Christmas morning when they find out the truth!

Shhhh don't tell....