How many Cruditions do you have in your family? We have some. I wanted to share some of my favorites and encourage you to develop some Cruditions in your families as well.
What is a crudition? You ask… How could you? A family tradition turned fun, hilariously, since it didn’t start out as a tradition. Many of our Cruditions are heart-melting words and phrases, as I hear them say from my babies every year (or in some cases, almost at every feeding).
My baby is 21 years old. Brenna is a fourth year of college this year and about to become a grandmother, but this Crudition will go on forever as it started with her. For her third Christmas, we were busy cooking the traditional family dinner and she stood in the high chair watching as she chopped the onion and celery for the dressing, “Mom, is that crudité?” I don’t remember my answer, but from that moment on our Traditional Christmas Meal became a Crud.
Then a few months later, he told his friends about my career. “My mom is a Mazagine writer.” And now, 21 years later, I’m still writing for Mazagines.
When little sister Tatia showed up, we reconsidered the idea of peanut butter sandwiches. Tatia was our little Peanut. We all hear fits of embarrassed giggles when someone mentions peanut butter in her presence; she has heard the story many times about the origin of her nickname. (She Use your imagination!) Ella She has long since outgrown that moniker and grown into a beautiful young woman.
Tatia’s first word, still her favorite word, was “fourth.” I ran a sales route, always the entrepreneur, and she loved to play. At 16, she has learned that quarters make dollars and she wants lots of quarters.
Sean frequently reiterates his first sentence, “No more coal, peese.” Uttered at 8 months of age, his cry was heard by the Dr., Nurse and Mom, during his first ER visit. From eating handfuls of grass and ‘poisonous mushrooms’ back then to tipping over his bike and breaking a clavicle, his favorite way to announce our upcoming trip to the ER is “Mom, I don’t want any more coal, peese.” Whether he’s the victim of his own injury or we’re going for someone else, he never fails to remind me of that first terrifying visit to an ER in a strange city far from home. At 13, his ER visits have gotten a bit more expensive and usually include more than one mouthful of weed.
Kenton inspired the Oreo Cry in our house. After shopping trips where a bag of Oreos and glasses of milk were regular treats, he dazzled us with pleas for the Last Oreo Cookie; especially after we realized why.
Did you know that the last Oreo cookie is significant? Like a Crudition, or Mazagine, or Peanut Butter, or even Charcoal, the Ultimate Oreo Cookie is meant to be savored. The former can be special, because it’s new and delicious, the latter, whether it’s an Oreo cookie or the youngest child in a family, requires an extra moment of savoring to enjoy.
My little great-nephew started a new generation of Cruditions with his happy little response to Santa Claus: “I want to see Ho Ho Ho.” This year reminds me that Family Cruditions are even more “special” because they involve children, innocence, and a miraculous new understanding of the language of love.
If you haven’t started your Family Traditions yet, keep a notepad handy and remember to jot down those valuable thoughts, words, and comments. Encourage children to continue using the best ones, even when they know better. Promote Cruditions to your family and start the New Year off with a keepsake basket.