traditions : old & new

I love watching our little family traditions grow - some of them quite without me realizing they're happening. On Saturday morning, I was getting ready for a journey to the grocery store (the epic experience that is the day before Easter), and walked into the living room to find Calvin, Ezra and Adelaide in the 'shanty' (aka - the couch cushions with quilts draped over them), playing "Laura, Carrie, and Mary Ingalls". But the tone was serious - and I strained to listen to just what was going on in there, worried we were reenacting Jack's (the Ingalls' dog) death again or something equally Little House on the Prairie-tragic.

But another very important kind of meeting was happening in there. Calvin and Ezra were having a little sit-down with Adelaide - filling her in on just what Spring is all about, and what exactly she could expect on Easter. They were explaining how the little animals of the forest leave out treats for them to find. They even impressed me with a few "some people are celebrating this....and some people believe this...." that has me believing they do actually hear me when I ramble on about such things. And then in great detail, the description of the 'really special and beautiful' chocolate bunny they would have in their basket from Mama and Papa. (Perfect, I thought, as I mentally added those yummy Lake Champlain bunnies to the grocery list.)

But before I could get too comfortable in my preparedness, I heard "...and Mama makes us all springtime pants!"  Wait, what? I do? A moment of panic set in as I racked my brain for just what was in the Easter baskets last year (a task more difficult than it should be for my 31 year old brain). Chocolate bunny, pencils, paper...yup, pants. And the year before? Hmn...wood animals, earth balls, watercolors....and oh yeah, pants. Oh gosh. That's a tradition. An accidental tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

As the day went on, I think I slipped something subtly into conversation about how wonderful it is when things change, or how holidays can be different from year to year and new traditions are made. But of course, I was only trying to convince myself. It wasn't until later that night, with a house full of sleeping babes, and the last of the Easter preparations completed (including a massive search for the Easter baskets. Where could they go?), that I finally succumbed to the pant-making. I distinctly remember whining about it to Steve and a friend during that day...but as I started gathering the fabric, I snapped out of that. I mean, really now, how long will it be that my children are looking foward to handmade pants from Mama in their Easter basket? Not long, I am sure. I'll take it while I can. With joy.

Before you imagine the scene to be too idyllic, I should tell you that it wasn't as though they were jumping up and down excited about these little pants. I assure you, it was the candy first. Art supplies second. Mama - made pants a distant third. But they each did put them on, and sat down together like this - giggling and eating and playing. Soon the linen was covered in chocolate and sticky jelly bean slime, and in a few days, I am sure, they'll be handed to me covered in mud from outside spring play. A perfect tradition.

Oh, and the easter baskets? I couldn't find them. At all. So we 'made do' at the very last minute with some clementine boxes. I think we started a new tradition.

Comments

[EF x]

I also like the boxes.

[Adrienne]

Thanks so much for getting back about the pants. April 1 is my birthday, so I will add the book to my list.
Adrienne

[sabrina]

ciao amanda & everybody
i would like to share with you our old and new easter tradition.
here are some picture
http://www.vivere-semplice.org/?p=288

i have tried with google tranlator but it is dreadful. sorry, soon or later i will start writing in english, i cant want to be more in contact with all of you..
ciao
sabrina

[Kirsten Michelle]

I received an email yesterday that my copy of your book has shipped and that exciting news, combined with this amazing post made my whole day yesterday!!!
You are an incredible inspiration, Amanda. I spend a little time each morning with my morning coffee reading my favourite blogs. I always save your until the very end, because I always leave here feeling inspired and hopeFULL.
Happy Spring to you and yours.

[donaB]

What a sweet story. I miss my momma's easter baskets, which were usually filled with art supplies and Cadbury Eggs. I suspect that some years better chocolate was purchased, but eaten the night before it made the basket.

[Deana]

I think the boys were right 2 yrs in a row do tend to create a 'tradition'! This year was my son's 2nd Easter and I have started an 'knitted Easter Sweater' tradition. (Good thing MI is still fairly chilly at Easter)
Traditions as a family is a great thing - not too many people do that anymore.... Looking forward to seeing your book soon in the stores!

[Tamar]

As ever, I am late to this post, but I just had to add a little something, because this just might be my favorite SouleMama post ever! I love keeping and making traditions and you give voice to the very best of that in such a beautiful way. My little Noodle is a little too little yet to enjoy our traditions but that hasn't stopped me from starting them with him!

[Susan]

That is just brilliant, the clementine boxes. Now you'll have a new tradition like the pants (which are so great) every Easter - and much eating of clementines before that! Looking forward to the very soon release of your book.

[Amy]

the clementine boxes are perfect! I love your blog, so cute!

[Katharine]

I love family traditions! Calvin has very grown-up looking feet in that third picture.

[Em / Fearful Penguin]

I love those pants, what a great idea! I am very impressed you made them in one evening - it would take me forever to do that! And yeah, I love how traditions are made often without realising it :)

[meg]

you're so inspiring! How you do what you do, I have no idea. How you do it with kids?! Now that's amazing!

[jmbmommy]

I love when you put the "what really happened" spin on your stories...I really do, because is what happens at our house too....lovely pictures only tell half the story--the "dirt" is in the details. Thanks for sharing!

[lera]

What a funny "accidental tradition!" Why do kids have the memories they do? My children's memories far exceed mine these days.

[Anna]

I'm sitting at my desk just cracking up laughing about the pants. It's so crazy what sticks out in a childs memory

I wish I had the energy to stay up in the middle of the night to sew pants. As it was I barely had enough to put the baskets and egg hunt together.

[rebecca]

Thanks for helping to get the word out about the importance of organic and fair trade products.

We have been working with textile training centers in west africa for the past eight years. Please take a look at the beautiful cloth they create and consider using it in your next DYI project.

We have also been members of the Fair Trade Federation since 2001.

www.AnanseVillage.com

[Wylie]

Amanda, I actually painted clementine boxes with little spring scenes, each one different (bunnies, flowers, birds, a garden), for my four children, and lined them with pretty calico fabric, many years ago, and those are always the Easter baskets we pull out of the attic each season.

[emily ruth]

oh, how i love reading you!

[Tea]

What sweetness! I love this (and the pants).

I'll second a book about growing traditions and rituals, so lovely.

[Erica]

That story totally made my day. I love holiday traditions, and your Easter sounds lovely. The pants rock.

[Rebecca]

Haha! that was a sweet story. I am sick with 24 hour morning sickness so at around 11pm my husband and I were putting together baskets from the bunny. Actually, I had tried to lay down and hubby came into bed and I asked if he had done the baskets...NOPE! Up again, but it was all done soon enough.

[Julie @ Letter9]

Truly adorable pants. And hey, at least they weren't reenacting the episode where the Ingalls cousin is a drug addict and goes through this horrible, awful withdrawl. That's the episode that turned me off Little House forever and ever amen.

[Lisa]

This mama would love some "spring pants" for herself! How cute are they!! Love them. You should sell them!!

[leigh]

Our famiy has the tradition of my three children recieving a small choc egg and a book. The book has become the highlight!

I love it when rules are broken.

Leigh
www.artsrocket.org
xx

[adrienne]

Your "Darling Clementine" boxes couldn't be more perfectly creative! If you find yourself in a pickle without baskets next year, you may want to start a new tradition. Growing up in the 1950s in a family of 12 children, we were masters at making do with little or nothing. Every year on Easter Eve, we would select a spot on the living room floor to lay our winter coat. In the morning we would find dyed eggs and candy hidden in the sleeves and pockets. Now that my daughters have children of their own, they have chosen to keep this tradition alive. There is a photo on my www.whiteleycreek.com bed and breakfast blog of my 2 1/2 year-old grandson's "jammies" that he discovered on Easter morn, as well as a post of eggs I dyed with natural dyes using various veggies and seasonings from my spice cupboard. So pretty! ~adrienne, innkeeper whiteley creek homestead b&b, brainerd, minnesota

[Marie]

That's right! It was almost one year ago exactly that I stumbled on your blog, and it was those pillows, rhubarb + strawberries, and your letter to your favorite summer dress that made me keep coming back. Lost you for a while, but then after some very desperate searching rediscovered you again... and bookmarked your page.

So, yeah. I love your pillows!