Tradition Nazi says.

I've earned the title from my cut-throat ways and rigid devotion.  When holidays come, you best be following the rules.  But there are more traditions in my family than just watching particular films on particular days, or going to Starbucks in our pajamas.  Oh no, there are far more subtle ones, and I'm not the only one deeply devoted.

I believe I had just gone into 7th or 8th grade and Kristin was in High School when my parents decided to borrow Kim's Camry for a trip to Whistler.  The car had a CD player, unlike either of my parents (that's not why we took it, just a benefit).  And while cleaning the car before we packed it and took off, Kristin and I discovered it also had a remote.  We put in fresh batteries and stored it safely in the back, where we would be.  For the next however many hours, Kristin and I would turn the music up for old classics we loved, and down for Sandy Patty and endless Hosanna or Hillsong collections.  We had our own disc mans and rather than compete, we'd just gradually notch the volume down notch.  I think we did it more for the humor of messing with our parents than anything.  We waited until we were home watching the video of the trip to tell them.  We'd considered just videoing ourselves doing it, and it will remain a regret of mine that we didn't.  It would have been a brilliant way to tell them.  Our Dad laughed, and just kept saying "Are you kidding me?!"  I love it when we make my dad laugh....
...like another time.  Dad was teaching me how to use his video camera.  He kept repeating"Just short clips Kati, short clips, a few seconds, then move on.  Water! Get that!"  If you've ever watched a family video of ours, you may have noticed that there is more in there about running water than there is of say, US.  We should refer to them as a documentary of water, not family videos.  I think my dad missed his calling, I think he should be out in the wilderness alone, shooting footage of running water for the Discovery Channel or Nature Channel or something.  But they'd probably have a problem with his 10 second clips that keep cutting.  His greatest fear is footage the way his brother shoots... that runs on and on and on... kind of like his conversations.  (Not my dad, his brother. Only my family will find this funny... or you, if you've met him.)  By the end of the long walk, after the roll of film was nearly full of footage from the water along Burke Gilman Trail (creeks, the Lake, puddles, streams of dog pee, too much? sorry), my dad was getting stuff out of the car and Kristin and I decided to shoot a little 'deleted scenes' clip.  We finished before he got to the front door.  It wasn't until that evening, as the footage came to an end and my dad picked up the remote... and then stopped.   Kristin appeared on the screen and in a broken series of comments, hammed it up, pretending to break out in sobs.  My dad just looked at us.  Then laughed. "What the... when'd you...Gah."

My dad has long decided he either takes Kristin OR I, he won't take us both.  He can't handle us together he says.  But that's funny, since we got it from him.  My dad is one of the most playful guys I've ever met.  Teasing friends, his daughters, or strangers.  He's the guy who'd walk to the front and address a full movie theatre, "I know you're all wondering why we've called you here."  Or, turn around in a full elevator and say the same thing.  Walking through a crowded mall, my dad would stop and suddenly started calling out "Lorette! Lorette! Don't leave me Lorette!" thrusting his arms out and around as if he were blind.  People would begin looking around for who this heartless Lorette was, who would just walk off and leave her poor blind man without his bearings.  She'd just keep walking... my mom is one of the feisty women you've ever met.  And loving.  She fits the Irish image quite well. ;)

Yes, teasing and games are a tradition I don't have to insist be followed, the whole family is pretty serious about them.  (Not to be confused with boardgames.  Pray you never have to play a boardgame with my family.  Pray!)