The 12 Days of Christmas

To this day, we are the only family that I know of who does "the 12 Days of Christmas." For as long as I can remember we have always practiced this tradition, so I will blame my parents' reasoning on my two older (and apparently slightly bratty) sisters. Growing up, my sisters didn't appreciate the stocking gifts that my parents gave as much as their "Santa presents" because they were small and more practical gifts (ie watches, candy, etc). To overcome this problem, my momma created "the 12 Days of Christmas". Each year, she would fill our stockings with 12 small gifts and starting on December 13th, we would open one a day up until Christmas Eve. It was always a struggle buying her 12 gifts and each year my dad still calls me to get help buying her 12 things she will appreciate. By opening a gift a day for 12 days, we didn't get overly anxious while waiting for the arrival of Christmas day. We always receive practical things like lotion, nail filers and razor heads, as well as fun surprises like magazines, make-up and candy. Even when I was at school in Chicago, she would send me my gifts for the days that I wasn't at home with the family. Since I will be celebrating Christmas in France this year without my family, she sent me an entire package full of my 12 stocking gifts. She was even smart enough to send it 2 weeks in advance, but due to the snail mail, I just received them today. I wasn't too upset because I got to open 7 gifts to make up for the lost time. Even from across the pond, she knows how to make Christmas special and I know I am so blessed to have a mother like her. She dated each gift individually and she included some of my favorite things that I am missing in France.

• December 13: Southern Living magazine
• December 14: Nail filers
• December 15: Nail polish
• December 16: Gum
• December 17: Tissues
• December 18: Christmas tree cakes
• December 19: Gingerbread men cookies