Published: November 11, 2008 01:10 pm            

DADDY'S GIRL: Creating holiday traditions great part of parenthood

Before Matt Groening ever put yellow pencil to paper to draw “The Simpsons,” my cartoon loyalties lied squarely with the Peanuts gang.

I would head straight for the comics page when I dove into the Sunday paper, bug my parents for stuffed Snoopys (one of which I still have) and clear my pre-adolescent schedule every time one of the holiday TV specials aired.

My Peanuts fever has subsided somewhat, but I still enjoy watching the specials whenever possible. This year’s airing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” took on double meaning because it was the first special I watched with Penny.

Within seconds of the opening theme song starting, Penny began laughing as though she’d never been so happy in her life (I know I haven’t been much happier than that moment).

She pointed at the characters and continued to giggle. She then started waving her arms in the air, conducting the orchestra performing the background music with artful mastery, before chanting “daa-gaa” when Snoopy made his first appearance.

Penny stayed in my lap for more than 10 minutes — unheard of for a 1-year-old who’s more antsy than a dozen children on Christmas morning — before taking to the floor, periodically walking away but frequently checking in on the action and grinning throughout the show.

As Penny continues to increase her ability to process the outside world, family traditions such as this become more common. We followed up the TV special the next night by decorating our pumpkins. Mommy and I drew the designs we were to carve later on, and we let Penny loose on her pumpkin (which she picked herself from a local farm) with a purple marker.

She slowly tested the water at first, tentatively doodling on the pumpkin as she looked up at us for approval. With a few words of encouragement, she let loose her artistic enthusiasm, creating one of the more “gourd-geous” Jack-o-lanterns I’ve seen.

Then, of course, came Halloween, which saw Penny dress as the Cat in the Hat with us accompanying her at Thing 1 and Thing 2 on a cross-region tour of family and friends (we’d spent weeks teaching her how to say trick-or-treat, and she got out a “tick-teet” at everyone’s house).

Penny’s first trip through the holidays last year was nice enough, but this year is shaping up to be a whole lot better because she’s aware enough to enjoy much of what’s going on.

There’s something to be said for the unknown that is starting new family traditions. The most important thing is to be together, but there’s a youthful charm to thinking of new things to do together (or old traditions from our previous family units to weave into our new set of customs).

One important thing we’re trying to remember is that there is no “wrong” choice; if something doesn’t work for us, we’ll just try something different next year. We’ve pretty much perfected our holiday visiting schedules since getting married four years ago, ensuring that everyone we want to see gets seen, so now it’s a matter of weaving Penny and our desires for her into the process.

There won’t even be a holiday hangover this year, since Little Lane No. 2 will join the party any day after the 2009 calendar replaces its 2008 counterpart on the wall. If it’s this much fun with one child, I can’t imagine how great it’ll be with two.

Before that, though, comes this holiday season. We don’t have all the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s plans — or any of them really — worked out, but no amount of preparation can quantify the fun we’re sure to have this year and in seasons to come.

In that respect, life is just like the Peanuts world — it’s not the size of the tree you pick that matters, it’s how much love you put into it.

Contact editor Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116,or lanep@gnnewspaper.com.

        

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