Christmas Music Box Party

The story goes that when my family moved to our new house in 1982, there was a shelf above a staircase that my parents didn’t know what to put on when Christmas came around. So they decided to put a music box on it. Since then, every Christmas Eve, we open a new music box. We alternate between religious and secular ones each year. We have so many different ones. And some from different trips too. My brother one in Chicago when he was there with his high school band one year.

When I left home for college, I decided I wanted to do it too. I got my first one in 1998, a snowman water globe. The next year I didn’t get one, but I was in Brasil that year. The following year, while I was still in Brasil, my mom sent me one though. It was a tin with a music box in the lid. I was home with my parents all of December 2001, so I didn’t get one that year. But I started back again in 2002 with a nativity that we dubbed the “Spastic Silent Night” because when I bought it, it played real fast with no slowing down before it stopped. Heidi fixed it though so it sounds more normal now. That was followed by a snowman water globe, an angel water globe, snowmen skating, a curved nativity, and a very tall Santa last year.

The only issue is, I buy the music box and I wrap it. And I’m not at my home on Christmas Eve, I’m at my parents’. So I’ve altered the tradition a bit to fit my situation right now. I still buy it and wrap it. But then I have a party for my friends in December and I ask one of them to open it for me. I’ve really enjoyed the parties over the years. It’s one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.

Tonight was this year’s party. I have put up the pictures and more commentary on the static part of my site (ie, you can’t make comments on the photo page, but you could make some here).

Enjoy!

Christmas Music Box Party 2008 Photos

42D

Oh, and I got some cute new shoes and some real fun socks too.

And yes, “have party” was on my to-do list today. I’m at the point where I have to keep a rather detailed to-do list or things don’t get done. As soon as there isn’t so much to do I’ll be able to calm down with my lists. I just think it is kind of funny that I had to put something like that on my list.