Winter
Snowflakes (By Andrea): Another tradition that our family has is cutting and hanging snowflakes. My parents grew up in Eastern Idaho with lots of snow. When they were married they moved to San Diego and didn't have snow there so they made their own. One year when I was about 3 years old my Dad was cutting snowflakes and he cut one that looked like Oscar the Grouch off Sesame Street. Each year right after Thanksgiving dinner we pull out our snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling. After all of them are hung except for Oscar everyone leaves the room, but Dad and he hangs Oscar. It is a race to see who can find Oscar in the 200+ snowflakes that are hung at my parents home each year.
We began dating the snowflakes and putting our initials on them. Several years after I was married Oscar was looking really sad. He was so worn out and tattered, but so well loved. My Mom carefully folded him up and traced him on another piece of paper and cut a new one. It doesn't look the same, but it is close. She gave me the original, but I wanted to share that with my brothers. So I made a plaque and color copied "Oscar" and put them in frames one year so that we each have an "Oscar" at our house.
We share this snowflake tradition with everyone who visits our home. My husband and I have been married almost 20 years and have over 175 snowflakes we hang each year. I have been cutting snowflakes since I was big enough to hold scissors. It has become a new tradition for someone to "challenge" me each year to cut something hard. One year I cut my kids' names in snowflakes. One year I cut violins. My kids all have their favorites in our own collection that they have to show off as well as their own creations, but they never miss the opportunity to find "Oscar" at Grandma & Grandpa's house.
We began dating the snowflakes and putting our initials on them. Several years after I was married Oscar was looking really sad. He was so worn out and tattered, but so well loved. My Mom carefully folded him up and traced him on another piece of paper and cut a new one. It doesn't look the same, but it is close. She gave me the original, but I wanted to share that with my brothers. So I made a plaque and color copied "Oscar" and put them in frames one year so that we each have an "Oscar" at our house.
We share this snowflake tradition with everyone who visits our home. My husband and I have been married almost 20 years and have over 175 snowflakes we hang each year. I have been cutting snowflakes since I was big enough to hold scissors. It has become a new tradition for someone to "challenge" me each year to cut something hard. One year I cut my kids' names in snowflakes. One year I cut violins. My kids all have their favorites in our own collection that they have to show off as well as their own creations, but they never miss the opportunity to find "Oscar" at Grandma & Grandpa's house.