Family Cruditions: Traditions Made Fun
How many Cruditions do you have in your family? We have some. I wanted to share some of my favorites and encourage you to develop some Cruditions in your families as well.
What is a Crudition? Questions … How could you? A family tradition turned fun, hilariously, as it didn’t start to be a tradition. Many of our Cruditions are words and phrases that melt my heart, as I hear my babies say them every year (or in some cases, almost every meal).
My baby is 21 years old. Brenna is in her fourth year of college this year and is about to become a grandmother, but this Crudition will go on forever, ever since it started with her. For her third Christmas, we were busy cooking the Traditional Family Dinner and she stood in the high chair watching as I chopped onion and celery for the dressing, “Mom, is that a Rare?” I don’t remember my answer, but from that moment on our Traditional Christmas Meal became a Raw Food.
Then a few months later, he told his friends about my career. “My mom is a mazagine writer.” And now, 21 years later, I’m still writing for Mazagines.
When little sister Tatia arrived, we reconsidered the notion of peanut butter sandwiches. Tatia was our little peanut. We all hear fits of embarrassed laughter when someone mentions Peanut Butter in their presence; He has heard the story many times about the origin of his nickname. (Use your imagination!) She long exceeded that nickname and became a beautiful young woman.
Tatia’s first word, still her favorite word, was “fourth.” I ran a sales route, always the entrepreneur, and she loved to play. At age 16, he has learned that quarters make dollars and he wants a lot of quarters.
Sean frequently reiterates his first sentence, “No more coal, pee.” Emitted at 8 months of age, his cry was heard by the Dr. and the Nurse, and Mom, during his first visit to the emergency room. From eating handfuls of weed and ‘mushrooms’ back then to flipping his bike and breaking a collarbone, his favorite method of announcing our next trip to the ER is “Mom, I don’t want any more coal, pee.” Whether he’s the victim of his own injury or we’re going for someone else, he never fails to remind me of that terrifying first visit to an emergency room in a strange town far from home. By age 13, her ER visits have gotten a bit more expensive and typically include more than one bite of weed.
Kenton inspired the Oreo Cry in our home. After shopping trips where a bag of Oreo cookies and glasses of milk were common treats, she dazzled us with pleas for the Last Oreo Cookie; especially after we realized why.
Did you know that the latest Oreo cookie is significant? Like a raw, or a mazagine, or peanut butter, or even charcoal, the ultimate Oreo cookie is meant to be savored. The former can be special, because it’s new and delicious, the latter, whether it’s an Oreo cookie or the youngest child in a family, requires an extra tasting moment to enjoy.
My little great-nephew started a new generation of Cruditions with his happy little response to Santa Claus: “I want to see Ho Ho Ho.” This year reminds me that Family Cruditions are even more “special” because they involve children, innocence, and a miraculous new understanding of the language of love.
If you haven’t started your Family Traditions yet, keep a notepad handy and remember to jot down those precious thoughts, words, and comments. Encourage children to keep using the best ones, even when they know better. Promote Cruditions in your family and start the New Year with a basket of memories.