cardboard Christmas Tree

Growing up we did not have alot of extra money to spend during the Christmas Season so my crafty mother would come up with inexpensive ways to brighten our season. One such craft was our 12 days before Christmas Tree. I was a Christmas tree cut out of Cardboard, covered with tin foil, and topped off with a star. Then she would glue 12 cupcake baking cups onto the tree. 11 of the baking cups held a note with a hidden treasure, and 1 carried the dreaded "love spanking." It was like the "Old Maid" of the tree. They were not lavish treaseures but things like a new earaser for school, new Christmas ornament, 50 cents, and our favorite....OPEN A PRESENT EARLY. Granted she picked the present we were to open but we loved it regardless. We would get up early and run to pick the next treaseure each morning. My brother, sister and I would take turns pulling off the baking cups each day each hoping not to pull of the "Old Maid." It was a great way to get us up in the morning and raring for school those last two weeks before Christmas break. Great memories.

I say all this because I have decided to carry on this tradition with my daughter Makenna. We began yesterday; however, she did not fully understand the concept till she experiencesd the whole process from retrieval of baking cup to recieving of treaseure. Yesterday it was a sucker. You would have thought she won the lottery. She does not get much candy so this was a big deal for her and her anticipation for today grew. When I returned home from work this morning, she was waiting for me at the door. Dressed in her best to pull of the glorious baking cup. She mounted the kitchen chair and tenderly pulled the cup off. Inside was a note that read, "sleep on the couch." She jumped up and down through the kitchen. Makenna, you see, loves to sleep on the couch but rarely does because HELLO she has a bed. This was a great treasure for her and she could not wait to tell her cousins and Aunt Sherrie.


I enjoy creating these special times with her. I know I am creating a bond that money could never buy. I hope one day she can look back and relish in these memories with her family as I do mine.