One of the nicest things about any holiday are the traditions that accompany them. When I was young we had a few Christmas must-dos, some of which were silly, but we looked forward to them all the same. One was watching Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. Sure, It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol are more traditional, but does anyone get chased by a squirrel? Does Scrooge get tied up with a bow by Bob Crotchet's crazy brother-in-law? No, I thought not. Now that I've left the nest, so to speak, I continue to watch that movie every Christmas Eve. Did you know that the boy who plays Rusty now plays Leonard on Big Bang Theory? It's true. I'm not sure what the squirrel's up to nowadays. Before my husband and I had any children we started a tradition of our own. We like to get a big fancy hot chocolate and tour all the brightly lit homes. We now have a good camera, so hopefully we'll get some really nice photos out of it this year. Now that we have kids, we've been anxious to start some new traditions with them as well. Last year I think we found a keeper: Gingerbread Houses!

My parents have a wonderful old log house in the country. A picture perfect setting for Christmas activities together. We bought two gingerbread houses and a TONNE of candy to decorate them with. At the time Alice was only two and a half, so I wasn't sure if she would sit still long enough to actually decorate anything. I was so wrong! She was very intent on her task and worked hard with her Grandma and Great-Grandma to create the perfect house.

This year we tried it again and had a great time. My mom even made one of the houses from scratch and a number of gingerbread men to decorate as well. One of the great things is how many different generations of family were involved. Aunts, Daughters, Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, and I'm sure the circle will increase as our family does. Next year Alice will be an expert and teach her little sister the tricks of the trade. I love old traditions and stories, but creating new ones with family is an extra special treat.