The Verve Path

M's first ornament

I don’t claim to be uber-crafty, but this is one thing I think I have done right.  When M was a newbie we wanted something for him to give at Christmas so we bought the kits to make those hand print ornaments and we made those for each set of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and ourselves.  We could actually say that our brilliant 6 month old made the gift and it ended up starting a wonderful tradition. (We even had our pup make one that year!)

The next year, we needed something that M could do that would keep the interest of a 1.5 year old, be easy enough, and be beautiful!  So, we bought plain glass bulbs. (only ONE broke in this whole process!!  Seriously!)  We also bought some craft paint in red and green.  We did two different types that year. Some we let him use a sponge brush and paint them, which he loved until he became bored.  Then we took a gallon size ziplock bag, put some paint in it, put the ornament in and let him shake it.  When it was coated, we let it dry for a few minutes, and then did the same with the other color.  As you can imagine, he LOVED this!

M's ornaments from when he was 1.5 years old

M's ornament at 2.5 years old

Last year, at 2.5, we were able to let him really go to town with it.  We bought wood carved hearts and let him paint two colors and add some glitter.  He was also old enough to tell us who each one was for as he was making them.

This year he will be painting wood snowflakes and adding glitter and ribbon.

These have been a huge hit with the family.  We love that we are instilling in him the value of thought and effort instead of monetary importance when it comes to gifts.  We love that we look at our tree and see how he has grown over the years.  And, of course, we love to watch him create these gifts on his own.  It is a gift in so many ways!

I thought that, since we are so close to the holiday, I would share some images of the ornaments that A and I have collected each year.  I love putting up our “family” tree because it tells such a story.  Each year I buy A a surprise ornament to mark that year together and we usually pick out one together too.  I also sometimes buy one to celebrate what special event has taken place that year.  Here are the “mark the year” ones we have collected:

"Mark the Year" ornaments 2002-2008

This is a tradition of ours that I absolutely love!  I look forward to a tree FULL of these ornaments one day, each helping to tell the story of our life together.  Just imagine… one day we will include ones for new children, grandchildren, and major events in our lives.  It is a wonderful evening spent unwrapping memories that starts our holiday season each year.

The Family Tree