Operation Christmas Pajamas
After Colby was born and expanding to my nieces and nephew the tradition of Christmas pajamas began. I selected flannel material and nostalgic patterns and made pajamas. Nightgowns with sleep caps were made for the girls, nightshirts and booties for the one boy. The kids loved it. It was something special "Aunt Annie" did every year just like taking them for the Christmas photo for my parents.
I stopped making the pajamas myself about the time Colby turned 14. It was far easier to find nice pajamas in stores and the quality of the flannel I was able to get was crap. After a few washings the flannel would begin to develop holes -which to this day makes me hate flannel fabric sold in fabric shops.
After Thanksgiving everything kicks into high gear around my house. The beds get dressed in the Christmas bedding of flannel sheets and puffy holiday themed comforters that the kids love and they get to wear pajamas decorated with a Christmas theme. It creates alot of excitement.
Last month I was at a 40% off sale and I picked up J. and Gracie a cute pair of flannel pajamas which they have not seen yet and will get to wear beginning the night after Thanksgiving dinner.
The past dozen years I have found myself expanding on my pajama theme and I also buy brand new pajamas for Christmas Eve so that on Christmas morning they are bright and shining in their brand new pj's and my photos turn out great!
I found an online clearance for pajamas for kids and ordered Gracie a pair of red pj's with matching robe and slippers. J. will not be with us until New Years so I did not buy special Christmas Eve pj's for her. For Colby who has far more grown up tastes now I chose pink silk pj's with the matching komono. For myself I have chosen red/burgundy velour with the matching long length gown. I am dying to wear those!! Thick and luxurious is the only way I can describe it.
My kids LOVE the pajama tradition. It is something they look forward too each year just as much as Santa. J. has adapted well and also looks forward to the new pajamas. I buy pajamas periodically throughout the entire year. The kids love the summer pj's and the first pj's of fall. They are pajama hounds loving to stay in their pj's on lazy saturdays watching tv or playing indoors especially on rainy days. I am guilty too of loving pj's and soft gowns far too much. I could spend every day in pajamas.
The past two Christmas Eves there has been a hitch in my pajama tradition. Steven hates pajamas. He doesn't own a bathrobe or slippers. Each year I have asked him about pj's for Christmas and each year he tells me if I buy them he will not wear them. Just last week he told Colby he suspected I was going to buy him a robe and slippers for Christmas. Because he reads this journal I cannot tell if you if I did or if I didn't. It will be have to be a surprise for all.
It is not like I would buy him kiddie pj's -though the idea has surfaced with the cowboy themed pj's. But on serious thought I would most likely chose a flannel pant, long sleeved T and a black or other dark colored terrycloth robe. I wouldn't choose slippers for him. Steven is just not a slippers kind of guy. I would choose the lined bootie -he has the coldest feet in the world in winter! He sticks them to me!!!
I suppose there are women out there who would be happy to be married to a man who doesn't schlep around the house in pj's or sweats all the time. I am one of those women. But here's the thing. When Steven wakes up in the morning he jumps out of bed (yes, briskly!) and puts on his clothes for the day, jeans and a shirt. (On week days it is up and into the shower immediately then into the clothes I have laid out the night before.) There is no lolligagging about. He is either sleeping in his boxers or fully dressed. There is no middle of the road point for him. What the hell is up with that kind of behavior? Is it a Yankee thing that I am new to discover? Who gets straight out of bed on the weekend and gets fully dressed BEFORE they even have coffee?
Is there something terribly wrong with my Christmas Eve pajama tradition? Do any of you have husbands who refuse to wear pj's (or sweat pants) and slippers? What is the deal with not wanting a warm bathrobe to wear on a cold winter morning sipping coffee by the fire?
Somebody help me to understand this behavior.
I wish my husband wouldn't wear sweat pants. He wears them out even! Also sometimes I think he's just not human) gets out of bed,(wears only underwear) puts his socks on first, then his shirt and pants, sometimes it the clothes he wore the night before, sometimes it's the clothes he's going to wear for the day. Then here's the weirdest part. He picks up any toy or item left out and puts it away, makes his way to the laundry room, and usually puts a load in the washer. Then he'll clean the kitchen or whatever is "out of place" ! weirdo
Me.. I wake up in my p.j's,* I have a strange love for p.j's too and own more p.j's then I do clothes* head straight for the bathroom then the coffee maker. I sit on the couch and try to open my eyes and take care of the kids. I've been up for about an hour and a half now and I'm still drinking my coffee sitting here in my p.j's and the house is a mess. I refuse to do anything in the morning!
Dr. B does the same thing and he's not a Yankee.
They are both freaks with late-developing good taste in woman. :-)
The best time of the day for me is when I doff the clothes of the day and get into my warm gowns and robe. Sheer comfort!
I don't understand why Steven wouldn't wear any pj's you bought, at least on Christmas morning. Tell him it is a good tradition for the children and your little one yet to be born needs to see the WHOLE family doing that.
You really do go all out for the holiday don't you? I have never considered holiday-themed bedding or pj's. To each his own, though, as that is what makes this old world go around!
Husband is a dyed in the wool yank and it's out of bed and into jeans and a shirt, fully dressed, sans boots before he heads downstairs to make his coffee. There is not now and will never be pajamas and a robe but he does do the wicked good slippers from LL with the outdoor sole.
I, too, am a yankee and I'm still in my PJ's at 10:30 this morning.
Go figure.
It's pretty simple: Why the intermediate step? Getting dressed, undressed, is a chore. Why make more of it than necessary?
I personally HAVE to brush my teeth the moment I wake up or I'm miserable. So I'd imagine your husband has the same type of reaction in terms of getting dressed. Perhaps it makes him feel woken up and ready for the day.
My husband loves pajama bottoms with a closed fly,which are very difficult to find. But he would never wear a pajama shirt.
Men!
It's better if he sleeps naked. Do I need to explain why?
There's nothing wrong with it!! Is there anything you CAN'T do??? You never cease to amaze me...what a fun tradition!!
The new PJs was a tradition we started way back so they could open one gift on Christmas Eve. My daughter would be disappointed if it ever stopped. Being married to a non pajama wearing man I understand your boggle. (though he is neither a yankee or a southerner) To solve the problem I've bought those microfiber ones and calling it loungewear seems to make it okay.
I just want to know where you found the online clearance.. i want to go there!
no nothing wrong with your pj theme we have a very similar one andlove to hang out in our pjs as much as possible!
We have a Christmas Eve pajama tradition. My husband doesn't wear pajamas either. One year I bought him flleece pants from REI because it is something he can hang out in on weekend morning. I also have tried nice boxers, since that's what he sleeps in.
I am also going to start new Christmas Eve tradition this year. I am going to make handmade gifts for everyone and hope to start a tradition where everyone will give out homeade gifts on Christmas Eve.
A very nice tradition! There is no better feeling in the WORLD to me than hanging out in flannels for the day.
I'd love to know where you ordered those jammies.
We too get up on Christmas morn in new jammies....except for....you guessed it, my hubby! He does love to lounge around in sweats in the am tho....the ever present cuppa in his hand. It's what he does ;P
~K!
My hub gets up and into his shorts or slacks for the day, and he's good to go. He doesn't wear pajamas either. My dad and brothers are the same way, ditto for all the men on hub's side of the family.
So maybe it's just a male thing? I suppose there are some guys that do wear a robe, I just don't know any of them. lol.
When I get up, I loll around in pjamas or boxers for an hour or two..
or three, on weekends. :)
I can forgive them for not wearing jammies, but they better have coffee at least, or they're not right in the head! lol.