Traditions

  Every year at about this time we pile into the car and trek over to the Yankee Candle Flagship store in Mass. to stock up on candles and eat lunch at Chandlers restaurant nextdoor (oh, the smell of sizzling steaks, apple brown betty and those  creamy rootbeer floats!) .   My kids used to love it.    Used to.   This year?  Not so much.  Grown up girl was plugged into her ipod and cell phone from the time we entered the Jeep, and Rising son plugged himself into his ipad and headphones alongside her.  Mike and I shrugged and sang old rock tunes with reckless abandon since no one in the back seat could hear us.  (I think we did Aerosmith proud with Dude Looks Like A Lady)

   Once we got there, the kids untangled themselves from their electronics long enough to trek through the stores begrudgingly, sniffing new candle fragrances to appease mom for about  two minutes and 37 seconds.  I counted.  We trudged through the snow village where younger kids stared wide-eyed in awe of the falling fake snow and train that choo-chood through the mountain tunnels below the ceilings.   We browsed the homegoods section where they perked up considerably because that’s where the check-out lines were.   And we were out the door in 40 minutes flat.  It takes an hour and 15 to get there, for cripes sake.

    A couple next to us saw me trying to coax my son to “Smell this!  It’s a new christmas scent!”  to which he replied in a bored monitone voice accompanied by a heavy, heavy sigh…”No mom, they just renamed it so you’ll think it’s new and buy it”.   The couple glanced at me with a commiserating grin and said “we left ours home this time”.

 What I’m learning? 
 Apparently some traditions are eventually outgrown. 
I’ll get over it.

And I bought the damn candle anyway.

30 thoughts on “Traditions”

  1. Okay…earlier ya had me balling now I'm over hear cracking up with laughter!!! …hey good for you for keeping up with family traditions!!! They will love you for it later on in life!

  3. I quit trying to interest my kids in anything that interests me, years ago. They prefer to create their own traditions. In their defense, they are grown and can do what they please… whether it pleases me, or not.

    Hey, you got yours to go and that counts for something!

  4. Ohhhhh Karen, I am laughing here. I love the way you described the whole outing. I'm sure somewhere, underneath the technology, they appreciated at least part of the day:-)

    I hope you enjoy the candle. The food smells sound heavenly.

  6. Haha OK the ending was funny! My boys haven't quite got there yet but what would youngsters do without there electronics!

  8. They only outgrow the traditions for a spell. Eventually they start reminiscing about them and later start similar traditions with their own families. You've given them wonderful memories.

  10. I am going to pretend that I never read this and that Jemma will always sing and enjoy every tradition that I have so lovingly tried to create. A mom can hope… right?

  13. OMGoodness, I'm sorry, but I am laughing. That sounds like me with my 2 older son's. One plugged into his Ipod and the other with the cell phone attached to his hand.
    They would be whining through the store though, saying it smells and it makes their eyes water, and whatever mom…if you like it.
    Thanks for sharing and making my day.

  15. This sounds so familiar! Mind you, in the end we preferred our two to be plugged into their electronic gadgets because it meant the weren't arguing.

  17. Too funny!! They really do come back around when they get a bit older, and someday you will find them creating some of the same kinds traditions with thier own families and you will be glad you set the example for them.

  19. You're in the stage that I disliked the most with my kids … the one where nothing I do is right or fun. Pretty soon, they will try on traditions of their own and come around to the exact same ones you shared with them. Trust me, I'm watching it happen with my own kids right now. Kids live what they learn, and they learned close family activities from you. Even if you can't see them right now, know that the lessons are in there.

  21. I'm not a big candle person, but i have to admit i really enjoy smelling these when i go into a store. In fact Hershey has a few candles out under license and they smell just like real chocolate! Richard

  22. Ha! I'm so close to right there with you it isn't even funny 🙂 I watched a small boy at an NHL game sitting in expensive seats- watching a movie on his parent's phone! Really?

  23. I love Yankee Candles….nest ever!
    Shame the kids have grown up and past wanting to do that day out…never mind!
    One day they might do it with their little ones!xxx

  24. Oh these darn kids! Happens to every one of us and it only gets worse. They eventually refuse to do anything with us, that is until they finally become adults and then they don't mind spending time with us again, in fact, I think they rather enjoy it.

  28. My daughter is getting her payback.. via her daughter who loves to smell candles and the new pine scents. I just smile,lean on the lamp post and enjoy her discomfort.

  29. I'm not one to coax others into enjoying what I enjoy doing. BUT, as others have commented, there will come a day when they sit back and say, 'remember when' to their own children. Technology just gets in the way of some things these days.

    I'd have bought the candle too! LOL

  30. Sigh! I know just where you're coming from! And you're "darned if you do" since if you try to STOP some other tradition, they'll be the first to cry foul!

    Good luck navigating the minefield of young adulthood!

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