Hanukkah Day 4, Chrismakkah and Hanukkah Day 6

Yes, we are Jewish but we have always gotten together as a family and also given gifts on Christmas as well. My dad grew up celebrating Christmas because his father was Catholic and we always did as children too. It is also a little known fact that many Jews (not you Tammie ;) have Santa envy and so they do the Santa and present thing on Christmas. When I was married to Justin's dad, who is Catholic, the tradition of Christmas continued. During my marriage to him we also celebrated Noche Buena (the Spanish tradition of Christmas Eve).

Old habits die hard and even though Marc and I are both Jewish and are raising our children that way we still honor those old traditions which I really enjoy. It has worked out really well this year since Christmas falls smack dab in the middle of Hanukkah, thus this year we celebrate the blended holiday of Chrismakkah. We don't do the Santa thing but we let the DD open their Hanukkah gifts on Christmas morning and we have our annual family dinner (Italian of course). Here are photos from all two of the days..day three's photos were few in number and the one's that I got were horrible.

The first few are if the DD lighting the menorah and us reciting the prayer. Then they opened their gifts (Boys and a Girls set of Leggos....waaaay too many pieces..OY!

Cousin Nina sent a book for the children so they opened it on Day 4..thank you Nina!

Here is Miss Starr on Christmas Morning and then the DD opening their gifts.

Judy and Justin brought came bearing more gifts as well as the grandparents and Marc's Uncle Howard. Unfortunately, Marc's Dad was hospitalized again so they could not be with us. They were in spirit though!!




Chrismakkah eve, Marc had assembled a train table that the all of the grandparents had given to the DD. It was in the garage when we presented it to them and here is their reaction. Katie, our drama queen has to exclaim "what is this stuff doing in here today!?!" This kid is too funny. I love Ethan's sweet reaction as well.






All of the new toys and Katie is playing with her Dollar Store Foam Puzzle (Isn't that always the way?)

Next couple of shots are of us playing "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" on the Wii



After that we watched old home movies with the family and when we got to the part when Justin was just a baby it became a big tear-fest. They grow up too fast...waaaay too fast.