Every Ornament Has a Story
My kids already decorated a Christmas tree at their mom’s house this year, so I was delighted that they wanted to put ornaments on a tree at my house, too. I wasn’t surprised – they love the holiday season, and enjoy celebrating with both single parents. I don’t demand their participation or take it for granted. So I’m happy and grateful when they choose to take part.
All the ornaments are special, even the cheap colored balls we bought for our first Christmas after the divorce. (Got to start somewhere!) But one in particular got us going this year.
Santa Claus in board shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, holding a surfboard.
Yeah, we got it in Maui. In fact, I remember exactly the circumstance (much to my daughter’s distress.)
My daughter was ten or eleven at the time. It was our first tropical trip as a post-divorce Dad’s House family. At some point, my daughter’s bikini top got some loose threads. So much so – she refused to wear it. And while she had other swimsuits to wear, that one was her favorite. Which means – she refused to go to the beach until the bikini was mended.
I’m not exactly a pro with a needle and thread, so we hit Lahaina Town looking for a seamstress. We found some store with handmade junk – crafts and sweaters and who knows what else. To my untrained eye, the women running the place were totally capable of stitching anything.
“There’s nothing wrong with that bikini top,” they said.
“Some threads are loose,” I said.
“It’s not worth our time to fix.”
I looked at my daughter. I looked at the women. I thought of all the beach time we’d be missing if her swimsuit wasn’t fixed.
“I’ll pay anything,” I said.
I must have looked desperate enough – the women took ten minutes and fixed it.
Of course, while they were stitching away, my son was shopping around. “Hey Dad, check out this cool Maui Santa ornament. Can we buy it?”
Absolutely.
The ornament went on the tree the other night. Neither of my kids remembered the situation.
But they both delighted in hearing me tell the story.
- Children and Divorce at the Holidays
- A Holiday Custody Schedule That Sucks
- Single Parent Vacation Travel With Kids
- Hawaii Kilauea Volcano Vacation With Kids
- Funny Surf Shop Story
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Comment by Nicki
| December 14th, 2009
I love those stories. I love having memories (the intangible) tied to the tangible. Glad you have so many stories to tell…and share.
Nicki´s last blog ..Let the baking begin!
Comment by Heather
| December 14th, 2009
Memories!!! Love em!
Comment by Mary
| December 14th, 2009
I think that’s my favorite part of decorating the christmas tree, retelling the stories behind the ornaments. Our best one is a huge crawldad with a santa hat bought down in New Orleans. The kids were too young to remember the story, but love hearing every year.
Comment by Christy
| December 14th, 2009
My situation with the Christmas tree is that my ex left his ornaments here, he didn’t care. So we have all these ornaments with his name or our first Christmas ones that the kids still want to put on the tree. I have no problem with it, but it’s still painful. Maybe this year they’ll all disappear and I’ll have to replace them.
Christy´s last blog ..When’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Again?
Comment by Big City Dad
| December 14th, 2009
The home made ornaments are what makes the tree. We split them for the most part but I’m collecting more. Luckily my daughter is in that preschool phase where they make something cute and completely unrecognizable almost every day! I don’t know what they are and don’t care. She just loves seeing them on our tree.
Big City Dad´s last blog ..Dude’s Night Out
Comment by T
| December 14th, 2009
I have a TON of ornaments that each have a story. Some stories were with the ex and… make me wistful. I need to make more memories and buy more ornaments!
T´s last blog ..The Bear and the Butterfly
Comment by BigLittleWolf
| December 14th, 2009
This is a lovely story. It’s funny how our kids remember things we do not, and we remember things they do not. I often wonder what stories they’ll retell. And just glad they will have many good ones to choose from. (We have shoes on our tree. Other ornaments as well, but yes – it’s a shoe tree. Less so when my kids were little, and now they just let me add my shoe ornaments and they roll their eyes. Surprised?)
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Who are you? What are you?
Comment by Mindy/Single Mom Says...
| December 14th, 2009
Great story! I, too, have many ornaments with a story.
I also kept everything I had pre-divorce cuz heck, I bought them all, and many were special to the kids too but I have bought some new ones in the eight years I’ve been single. Every Christmas is special with more memories made.
Mindy/Single Mom Says…´s last blog ..Getting What We Want
Comment by Sandra
| December 14th, 2009
Ooh, Christmas Balls are fun, and each one has it’s own story !
Sandra´s last blog ..Special
Comment by Danielle
| December 14th, 2009
I never really cared about that stuff. My family growing up hated Holidays. I look forward to starting that tradition with my daughter.
Danielle´s last blog ..Dear Lil Sis, YES YOU!
Comment by Mark
| December 14th, 2009
It is a nice story. Ornaments mean so much more when there is a back story.
Mark´s last blog ..Sudden Death
Comment by mama llama
| December 14th, 2009
Memories…and warm Hawaiian memories at that. Thanks for the sun rays–they warmed me up on this cold December day. Oh, to dream of wearing a bikini again…
I love to hear a good story behind a knick knack, a memento or an ornament. Makes everything so much more special and personal.
Be well, Dads.
mama llama´s last blog ..Raw
Comment by Jim
| December 14th, 2009
I too have many ornaments with stories and my kids listen every year as we put them up. They never seem too bored with the stories, they are teenagers too! There are some from my married days, but my favorite is the one I made in kindergarten and I still have it, it’s almost 50 years old! Such memories, and now my oldest at 24 will be getting married and I told she could take some of the ornaments with her and she wanted my favorite, not!
Comment by thewildmind
| December 15th, 2009
As a teacher, it is really wonderful to hear that parents love the personally made ornaments that we make in class…and, yes, students who have two families in separate households get to make two. I always try to include that year’s school picture on the ornament whenever possible. I will definitely continue this tradition for students who celebrate Christmas (those who don’t get to pick a project of their choosing)after reading the responses here.
The ornaments on our tree all have meaning and are very special, even the store bought glass ones that everyone can purchase from Target. Depending on the colors and size we can almost pin point which post divorce year the ornaments were purchased.
Very sweet post. Heartwarming, complete with all that the season is about. Loved it!
thewildmind´s last blog ..Old Maids and Fairy Tales
Comment by Vinomom
| December 15th, 2009
I don’t have any ornaments with memories. Personally,I like the tree to look nice with matching stuff. This is the first year my daughter has taken a real interest in dressing the tree and she was annoyed that I wanted everything to look “nice”. Maybe I need to start getting some ornaments with stories like that!
Vinomom´s last blog ..Photoshop: A christmas card gift from God