This is my first holiday season with my foster son. (He went back to his biological mother last year one week before Christmas -- 1 year ago today, in fact
) I'm thrilled to have him with me this year
and hope he gets to stay forever.
So, I'm trying to start traditions with him that we had as children. My family is Jewish by birth, but we celebrate most holidays that come along; we see holidays as a time to get together and celebrate being together.
We'll have a small Hanukkah party on Saturday: our family, my sister's best friend's family (they are not Jewish, but they are always included), latkes (potato pancakes), applesauce, cold cuts, lighting the menorah and passing out small gifts. I still have the menorah I had as a child, so I will make a point of lighting it each night with my foster son and give him a small token gift each night as well.
I also made a mad dash to find "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", as my parents always read it to us -- and how can a child grow up not knowing that poem? We will go over to my sister's on Christmas morning for the traditional Jewish celebration of bagels, lox, cream cheese and Christmas cookies. Then, we will open presents (like I said, we celebrate everything
) and hang out until it's time to leave. (We used to go in their hot tub in the afternoon, but it's broken
)