are all family traditions worth keeping?

family traditions have always been something i valued and wanted to create and share with my own little family. we have "pancake saturdays" as well as "friday pizza and movie nights". wednesday night, I was in my own self-inflicted sweatshop hell because of one of these traditions. 

in what feels like a lifetime ago, i was a stay-at-home mama with a flare for perfectionism. when my first born turned one, i made him the cutest "1" appliqué t-shirt and it was a hit. so, clearly i started a tradition and have made a #2 shirt and so on.... and so on.... as the years have flown by. when my second one came along, i continued the tradition and then (like a crazy-person) upped the anty and decided that a number shirt alone wouldn't suffice. nope. why not add a hoodie to the tradition? And why stop at just one number placement?! who would do that?! let's put one number on the front and yet another on the back?! crazy town. 

the past few months have been amazingly crazy. lots of fun, big changes in our family as a whole and for my life individually. early wednesday morning, my youngest came into my room and curled up with me in bed. (let's stop here for a moment to take that wonderfulness in. the snuggles. the older the boys get, the more I am holding onto these moments). the little man was going to be turning 5 the next day, so with his upcoming birthday on his mind the conversation went something like this....

little man: "mooommy, i know what you're getting me for my birthday...." (in a sing-songy voice). 

me:  "you do?" (thinking....*crap* please say that i ordered the right thing on amazon....).

little man: "yep. a #5 t-shirt and sweatshirt, silly. i can't wait!"

me: "you are one smart cookie".  

in my head I was panicking. i had not made a #5 anything. and now, with his birthday the following day there was no time to order one.....that's why i am here....at 2 *in the morning*.....sewing away in my own personal sweatshop. i want to make my little ones dreams come true and to carry on a tradition that i am currently cursing and kicking myself for even starting. at what point are they going to stop caring about traditions?! are we thinking double digits?! (please, lord....no). 

what traditions did you start that you sort of wish you hadn't? please, tell me I'm not alone in this.......please?!

xo- heather