And I have done my best to foster a love of Christmas in my kids. We forbid anything "Christmasy" any other time of the year, then, after Thanksgiving dinner they make Gingerbread houses with my mom, and the day after Thanksgiving I let them pull out all the Christmas books, and movies to begin our months' long celebrations. We try to make it magical.
And it's worked, my kids love Christmas, too. They understand, it's about peace and love and giving.
But they also like getting gifts, and when you love Christmas as much as I do, watching your kids open something they really wished for Christmas morning while snuggled up with your spouse drinking coffee in your jammies, can be the highlight of your year.
Which is why I'm always hoping that Santa can really pull through.
And it's touch and go sometimes. There have been several Christmases when I'm not really sure he's going to make it, and this is why....
My kids ask for weird stuff. No, like really, weird stuff.
Weird things my kids have asked Santa for:
- Candy making robot
- remote with one button on it that makes me invisible
- suction cup shoes and gloves, so I can climb like spiderman
- drone to scare bats out of my (non existent) butterfly garden
- electric scooter (I know it doesn't seem that weird, but when you know the kid that asked for it, you quickly understand that it was off the table.)
It's important to me that Santa pull these things off, and there's a reason. I want my kids to believe in magic, all their lives.
When Grace started questioning Santa's existence she was having a rough year. Our dog of 15 years had passed away that spring. She was devastated. I was sad, and missed my dog, but after a few months of not picking up dog doo in the yard, or vacuuming up dog hair, I was pretty convinced that not only could our sweet Abbey dog not be replaced, but that she wouldn't be replaced. Josh was so heartbroken, he told the kids that we would never have another dog. Grace in a last ditch effort to believe in magic, wrote a letter to Santa asking for a dog. She told me about it, and I told her, it was unlikely, that Santa only brought things parents approved of. I saw the light of magic leave her eyes, and I wanted it back. Long story short, Santa brought that dog. In a letter, he explained that he got "Nicky baby", named for St. Nicholas, at the Humane Society and that she would be responsible for his care, and all of a sudden the magic was back.
Since that Christmas, I've learned that even Santa probably shouldn't give dogs for Christmas, see this article, but even so, I'm certainly glad Santa pulled through.
Grace is two years older now, and last year because I didn't want her to go through the pain and cynicism of finding out Santa's biggest secret, I took her aside, just before the season started, and said, "You've asked me if I believe in Santa, and I've always said that I do. And I know you're getting older, and people are talking about Santa, and I want you to know that what I've always said is true. I do believe in Santa, because I believe in the spirit of Christmas, and the magic of giving someone something special anonymously, and I want you to believe in Santa and magic. That's why, today I'm asking you to become Santa with me, to help spread magic and joy to people at Christmas time." She's a bright kid, and she understood what I was saying, and instead of the pain and cynicism I felt when I was her age, she was excited and joyful. She couldn't wait to bring the light and magic she experienced the Christmas she got her Nicky baby, to someone else.
And this year she did. She read an article in the newspaper about a counseling center who's main clientele are refugee children who've been through traumatic events. One year, the children, hearing about the tradition of stockings, hung their socks on Christmas Eve, and woke to find them empty. Grace read that article, and immediately asked if I would take her shopping. With money she saved from doing house chores, she purchased, socks, underwear, toys, books, and art supplies, and donated them to this great cause. She truly understands the hope and magic of the season, and she believes in Santa.
Oh, in case you were wondering about the list of weird stuff, in some way, however unexpected, Santa has filled those weird wish lists, and hopefully, he'll continue to do so with Grace's help.
I love the way you brought Grace into the magic instead of taking it away!
ReplyDeleteMy 5 year old wants the suction cup shoes ( and a Real jet pack...not a fake one)...I think I can talk him out of the jet pack, but he is determined to climb the walls. How did you pull off the shoes?
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DeleteSince the suction cup shoes weren't his main desire, and he was pretty little, we took suction cups from the dollar store (meant for hanging pictures), and I sewed them onto socks and gloves. When my son found them in his stocking, he was excited, and felt like Santa had followed through, and when he tried them, even though they didn't work, he was pleased. When it's been really tough, sometimes Santa brings what they asked for, but they realize something was lost in translation, in that case, maybe these would work
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/Colombia-Soccer-Hanging-Suction-Quality/dp/B00KHTF7M0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1448492970&sr=8-8&keywords=suction+cup+shoes
You could also try gluing these to an old pair of shoes with some industrial strength epoxy, but make sure you supervise him, and Santa could leave a not telling him that any of these options are for sticking him to the floor, not climbing.
http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D3042-Double-Suction-Cup/dp/B0000DD487/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1448493151&sr=8-5&keywords=hand+operated+suction+cups
Good luck, Santa!!
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