Family Unity Day
We had a lot of fun today creating our banner. Lillie and Mark are still quite young so we knew their input would be limited but we tried our best to make their corners of the banner very specific to their likes at the moment. Lillie spent a lot of time drawing pictures on scraps of paper whilst baby Mark had a nap. Big Mark & I thought hard on what sorts of things we wanted to include on the banner and what our motto should be. We started with our family name, which we decided to do in the colour red as this is the colour of the Nicholson tartan and crest.
From there I had to focus on many of the other specifics alone as Mark decided he wanted to draw The Bat Family in Lego form in his corner of the banner and so dedicated most of his time to that cause! He put a lot of thought and detail into it and I was very impressed. I think his drawing of Bat-Girl was probably my favourite. I decided to draw a Christmas Tree in my corner as it was about drawing something that represented our passions. I also drew a packet of wotsits in Baby Mark's corner as he absolutely loves them and actually spent some time eating them whilst we were making the banner!
As well as the Wotsits Packet, I also drew a picture of Marky walking as we are sure he will be up on his feet in no time! By this point Lillie had gotten hungry and bored of scribbling so I made her a jam sandwhich and sent her to the table in her play-room. We did have a couple of tantrums during the activity but it didn't escalate and we were able to have a generally smooth-running experience together. I thought a lot about how we plan to do this each year and how we will all change each time. I cannot wait to look back on our banners and remember the wonderful memories we will have created. We decided to draw a Scottish Flag at the top of the banner and the Nicholson Crest at the bottom. We also came up with our 2017 Motto which is 'Members of the Nicholson Family Always Smile!'
Next, I worked on Lillie's corner. I made a really rubbish drawing of a Princess because she has been so obsessed with them ever since I took her to see a Cinderella Pantomime last month! Everyday we are watching Disney Princess movies and she just loves them all. I also did a sketch of a Nursery sign as Lillie will be starting Nursery in the summer which I am equally dreading and looking forward to. She was really pleased that I drew a Princess for her and I wonder if by next year she will be wanting me to draw something different!
And Mark is STILL working on his Bat-Family! So we moved on to the handprints. I thought it would be really nice to also put our handprints across the banner and see how they change every year. I used some green paint and rolled the kids sleeves up. Baby Mark's first print didn't quite work out so there is a giant splodge next to his second attempt which thankfully, does look like a handprint! Lillie next and she was so excited. She had been waiting for this moment the whole day although wanted her hand cleaned instantly! She did a great job.
Mark FINALLY completed his Bat-Family and we both added our own hand-prints. By this point, the banner was full of fun and colour and I am honestly really proud of it. I added some cute hearts and flowers in several blank spots and took a final picture. Don't you think it looks fantastic?
All that was left to do now was come up with our family rap. Now this, was definitely the highlight of our Family Unity Day! Mark and I both came up with the lyrics together and he beat boxed. We put some hats on and tried to get Lillie to do the peace sign but she can't quite get her tiny fingers to work it yet. We took a video of our masterpiece and are now ready to share with you 'The Nicholson Family Rap 2K17.' Enjoy!
So all in all I'd say our first Family Unity Day was a fleeting success! We all really enjoyed ourselves and we were so blessed that daddy didn't get any call outs to work as we would have been sad doing it without him. We plan to hang our banner on our staircase, along with our family goals for the year. I'd definitely recommend other families to do something like this in your own homes this month. Teach your children to be proud of their family name, be proud of the little people they are and the things they enjoy that make up their being! Create strong family traditions and happy memories this year!
Happy New Year Everyone!
You can read more about 'Family Unity Day' in 'The Book of New Family Traditions' by Meg Cox.