This will be my first Christmas away from my girls and I want to start a new tradition with them. Something that will be special just for the four of us. Got any suggestions for those that are or have been divorced that are in this situation also?
Robert

like far away and you won't see them at all or just won't be in the same house???

i buy a special ornament every year

Dude, just pay attention to what their interst are, and plan around that. Don't go over board, and be willing to adapt or change to whatever they need or want.

Travel really is in-expensive.... The last 3 years, I put away $300 for fuel and hotel, and drove north till I hit snow. Stayed 2 days, drove back. My kids loved it each time. Thats now our tradition.

Take them out to buy a tree ornament- have them pick out each their own and you too. Do this each year to build a new collection of ornaments. Date these ornaments. When they get older- you can give them to them/ or leave them to them latter in life. This will build good new memories for all of you.

letters, send them each a letter so they will always have it, and have them send you one as well. Letters never go away

"Daddy's Little Girls Weekend Spectacular Annual Event"

how old are your kids? girls or boys?

This is the tradition my parents did for my brother & myself. Even now, as an adult, I receive an ornament each year. Now a parent myself, I buy one for my son every year. He proudly places the carved, wooden angel that was given to me for my 1st holiday on top of the Charlie Brown tree he names without fail.

Like Duke said "don't go overboard". Take it easy and feel them out. What I would probably do is ask them to think of something, talk it over and see if it's do-able.
something like put the tree up together each year, and decorate it together.
Find a fun place that memories can be made and remembered. Is there an ice scating rink around you? Or maybe a place where you can walk, or horse and sleigh or buggy rides?
If you were here in Okalhoma, I could tell you where to do all those things, in just a few days. All in the same area.
I am sure you will come up with something. Or someone here will hit it on the head. I still think that maybe something the kids themselves come up with.
Good luck.
Kat

What means the most doesn't necessarily cost anything. Creativity and thought is far more important than what's at the stores and are "hot items". Do you do any kind of woodworking or could you make them something from scratch? They may really like that and it would be different. :)

You are such a wonderful writer, I would write them a short story or a poem, something that means something to YOU. I'm sure that your girls will LOVE it. Share YOU with them, Robert.

I have been there. I would make a special ornament with the 4 of you and hang it on your tree and i would make a suprise phone call and talk to each of them an tell them how much you love them and wish them a Merry Christmas. Use your imagination. I wish you the best and know that it will not be easy. Gods blessings

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions....I should have added I have all daughters...14, 15, 19. They all mean the world to me and the idea about the ornaments sounds good. And Jo, what you said about my writing, I could put two and two together and write a little special poem on each one. My girls don't live far away, as a matter of fact they just live right up the street. So, visiting isn't going to be a problem. I appreciate all your suggestions and will take a piece of each one. Thank you all.

This is not for Christmas but actually through out the year. What I started doing with my kids was every other week see now I have two kids so it worked out I took only the the one out they got to chose were we ate and something to do. Sometimes it was a movie or putt putt heck or we went to the lake with the jet ski it was up to them but during the day was there day just them and me we would eat and do things and sit and talk. Some times we just rented movies and went back to the house and sit and watched tv. It was there choice of what we did but it gave us time to talk and really get to know each other. Even at times me and my daughter would spend the day at the mall and not buy anything just window shop for fun it did not matter that we did not buy anything we had fun like a day of day dreaming which in the long run gave me ideals for x-mas and B-days when it came around.

Pluse my boss has property out in the country we would all go to and go 4 wheeling we really had a blast doing that. Or even camping with them all or tubbing in the summer.


But for x-mas just because you don't have x-mas morning with them why not have them come over the weekend before x-mas and have your own x-mas just you and them cook the big dinner get up the next morning and open your gifts since it is the weekend before should not be a problem getting them and you can have your own special xmas just you and the kids. Not only would they get your gifts first and that way can show others what they got x-mas with everyone else but that would be time set out for just ya and would be a blast. Wake them up by spraying silly string on them then give each a can to have fun with it is not hard to clean up after you get through and it is a lot of fun. Good luck sure you will think of something to make it special.

Thank you Kristi...that sounds like a blast. I did do that around their birthdays though. I let them each pick a place where they would like to eat. Well, the first one picked a place, and it was so good there, the other two wanted theirs there too. SO it wasn't hard to please. I like your ideas too...through the whole year. I will make sure to put those to good use.

Yea!!!!! Silly string. That is a blast! Just do it before a shower or after you have done your fun thing. It makes your hair oily, or greasy.
We had a silly string fight just a month or so ago. SO MUCH FUN!
Kat

We did the silly string too one time in the house, but we said never again...because when the can runs out the gas still emits a liquid that is hard to get off the walls. But it was still a blast.