Advent - day ten

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 10 matching p.j.'s, 9 lovely tall trees, 8 elegant ornaments, 7 certain suitcases, 6 singing souls, 5 Yulenissers, 4 Christmas stockings, 3 special wishes, 2 roller skates, and one very large sea kelp.

New jammies on Christmas Eve is certainly not an original tradition - in our family or any other. And it's been a sporadic tradition in our family. When Bonny and Harry were small, I made them new night gowns and p.j.'s. When Phoebe was 5 or so, I made her an E.T. nightgown that was a labor of love. There was an applique and embroidery on the front of the silhouette of E.T. flying away on the handlebars of the boy's bike. Sadly I never even took a photo of her in the gown, so you will just have to take my word for it that it was lovely!

A few years later, Dad and I started shopping on our anniversary getaways when Bonny came home for quarter break. Whereas I hadn't been up to shopping for or making new sleepwear for the kids, now we had time to shop, so we started buying them. I remember a green silk pair Dad chose for Phoebe. I wasn't sure she would like it - but he insisted. Just to let you know how wrong I can be, Phoebe not only loved them - she still has them - and wears them too!

I don't remember exactly when we started the matching jammies for whoever was with us on Christmas Eve. Sometimes we had silk-screened shirts with some clever saying. Sometimes we just saw what Marshall's had a dozen or so of. And one time, we designed a special "Welcome Matt" tee shirt the year Matt and Eliza got married. That is my personal fave. That year I also made all the bottoms! Now there are women who could whip up a batch of pajama bottoms without breaking a sweat, but I'm not one of them! I had the idea that Dad and Noah - since he was still living at home - could help me and we'd do it assembly line.

Well, we did do it assembly line and they did help me, but it was not all sweetness and light. I have a certain way of doing things. And males have another way. I was out-numbered! But they did get done and they were a fun surprise. It was worth all the effort to see the look on Eliza's face - she knew well my penchant for starting projects and not finishing them - so she was truly impressed as she said, "You made these?"

A couple of years ago, Dad said, "I have more tee shirts and pajama bottoms than I will use up in a lifetime. Shouldn't we start some other tradition?"

Maybe we will this year!