by Carol Thompson

It was that time of year again. Christmas was rolling around, and I had started giving thought to what to buy the kids. I felt like a scrooge. I didn’t want to, but it never failed. A typical Christmas included the kids making a list of trivial items; I get them; they play with them for a short period of time; I go over budget, and after Christmas, I feel overspent and unsatisfied. The kids’ presents end up in the toy box, ignored, and often times broken and waiting to be returned to the store. I decided several years ago that I wasn’t going to do it anymore. I wanted Christmas to be about good memories for all of us.

I started considering a new tradition. Quickly I decided to do something for the whole family that would be very memorable. I reserved a cruise (Disney Cruise) and booked it for a couple of days after Christmas. Although ecstatic, I was still worried that the traditional toys under the tree would be expected.

However, under the tree that Christmas morning, each child had only one gift individually (from their list) and one beautifully wrapped box addressed to both kids. Inside it was a letter from Santa himself. There was also a puzzle that Santa instructed the kids to put together. After they pieced it together, it showed Mickey and Minnie on the Disney Cruise ship, the Disney Wonder. (I printed the picture from their home page, laminated it and cut it up into puzzle pieces.)

Although dazed, the kids seemed thrilled knowing that they would be leaving in a couple of days to go on a weeklong vacation, including a four-night cruise to the Bahamas and a side trip to Universal Studios in Orlando. Santa had thought of everything. He also had stuffed their stockings with vouchers for special excursions on the cruise ship like para-sailing tickets, snorkeling tickets and souvenir money.

We spent the rest of Christmas Day packing. Leaving the cold weather in north Georgia, we traveled to Cape Canaveral, Florida. The cruise was wonderful. But what “wrapped” my Christmas up was a conversation I had with my then 9-year-old son while at the beach at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. I asked him to be honest if he was OK with what Santa brought him this year. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Mom, this was the best Christmas ever! In fact, why doesn’t Santa start a ‘Trip Under the Tree Tradition?’” The deal was done. I was happy and finally felt content with my presents for the kids. It was then that I realized that “presence” and not “presents” was the ultimate Christmas gift.

I couldn’t wait to start planning for the next year’s “Trip Under the Tree.” I narrowed down ideas for months, finally deciding on Stone Mountain, Georgia, for our winter vacation. We enjoyed the Christmas activities at Stone Mountain like the “Carol-oke” singing, 4-D snow theater, Christmas crafts, train ride with storytelling, making s’mores around the campfire, and so much more. One of our favorite activities was the nightly Christmas parade. Traditional Christmas meals were served graciously, and we indulged in sumptuous delicacies. We stayed right on the premises and enjoyed every minute of our second trip. Once again in the hustle and bustle of the season, we were able to enjoy the best gift of all, time with each other.

This past year was no different. I started working on our trip in early spring. For Christmas 2006 we went to Las Vegas. Under the tree were three nesting boxes. In the first box, Santa had placed a note and foam letters. The directions were for the kids to unscramble the letters and discover the place where we were heading. After they had spelled out LAS VEGAS, they got to open the second box. Inside it was a children’s travel guidebook to Vegas. Santa’s note said to locate Las Vegas on a map from the book and tell what state it is in. Finally, they got to open the third box. Inside were plane tickets and lots of other excursion tickets like Hoover Dam bus tour, helicopter tour inside the Grand Canyon, Mandalay Bay, Wax Museum, etc. As usual, Santa had left both of them souvenir money inside their stockings. The suspense of finding out where we are going next is almost as much fun as the trip itself.

The newfound tradition can be as simple as a short getaway like the trip to Stone Mountain or as luxurious as our Vegas Trip. The trip to Stone Mountain only cost us four a total of $500. The Disney Cruise, because we were traveling off-season, was very affordable as well; only about $2,500 for the four of us. I did spend more on the Vegas trip because air travel was necessary. However, plans can be made according to any budget. Whatever you choose to do, “making memories” is what is important. Future plans for us include snowmobiling, dog sledding, and maybe even a “zip line” tour. All four of us agree that this has been one tradition we won’t give up. My husband’s opinion of the tradition is that it is great because there is no shopping involved.

Ultimately, I don’t spend any more money on our trips than I normally would purchasing lots of trivial gifts. In return, however, my investment has been priceless. I wouldn’t trade our “Trip Under the Tree Tradition” for anything. Time spent with my family is the best Christmas gift ever.