If there is one thing that is an end-of-year tradition for me, it’s the all-nighters that precede Christmas morning.  Are they a tradition or a bad habit?  I can’t quite decide.  All I can say is those late nights made it possible for toys to be tested, bikes assembled, and a ton of packages to be wrapped.  My husband, an only child, always wanted children (plural) and dreamed of giving them BIG, exciting, and overwhelming Christmas mornings.  The all-nighters were my necessary prelude to creating that Grand Tradition for the rest of the family.

Having a baby inspires parents to think about everything they ever wanted their child to have in life; the list usually being a combination of everything good and everything that each of us thinks should have been in one’s own childhood.  (more…)