Ben was the first to wake up on Christmas morning. He came right to our bed and said, "Santa Claus is coming to town today!" I couldn't help but smile at how sincerely he proclaimed this announcement. (It just makes me feel more guilty! I want my children to love the whole Santa Claus part of Christmas and all that but what happens when they figure it out? Will they hate me and accuse me of lying? Does anyone else struggle with this? I feel guilty quite easily so I need someone to help me get over this!)
The kids followed the rule and didn't run out to the tree without coming to get us first. It was about 6am, which is normal for them. We had a family prayer and then Troy went in to turn the tree lights on. Once he said they could go find their presents, I expected them to make a mad dash for the tree. But Lizzy went straight for the little table by the fireplace on which we had placed some cookies and milk for Santa and carefully counted out carrots for each reindeer. She cried out, "He came! He came!" He even left a note. (Why is this bothering me so much this year?! I actually thought Lizzy would figure out the truth this year but she believes with all of her little girl heart. Someone help me with this!)
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| Evidence that Santa really came to OUR house! |
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| Santa even wrapped the presents he gave to Ben and Lizzy in gold wrapping paper. He set out one unwrapped present for each child. The other presents are from grandparents gone wild! :) Lizzy hadn't asked for a baby bed for her dolly so she was amazed at how insightful Santa was! |
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| The Christmas wishes of our children were granted and THEN SOME! Emily, I had to put this picture in of you because you have those cutsie curlers in your hair! Emily brought so many presents for the kids and Troy and me as well. Lizzy loves Strawberry Shortcake and so does Emily. Emily unloaded a bunch of stuff she has been collecting over the years. Lizzy was more than happy to give Emily the excuse to clean house! Thanks Emily!!! You are BERRY sweet! |
So cute! I love the carrots for the reindeer idea and Santa wrapping in gold. He always wraps with pictures of himself at our house (helps distinguish between gifts from others).
ReplyDeleteI understand your concern about the Santa Claus thing. It is so much fun and yet feels like a lie. I'm sad because this was our last year with anyone to believe. Steven is in 4th grade, and there was a lot of discussion about whether Santa is real at school. (Some parents don't believe in it and tell their kids from the get-go and ruin it for the rest of us!) When he asked me if Santa is real, I said yes. I figured he could have one more year if he's not ready to believe his friends. I wasn't ready to stop believing when my friends did so I made a conscious choice to keep believing for one more year.
Also, I don't think it is a lie. St. Nicholas is real. Santa is an adpatation that came to America, and we do him to keep the love and giving of St. Nicholas alive. That is how I will explain it. Maybe that is rationalizing. I don't know. I had to tell our 2nd son when he was quite old because he was being made fun of at school. He was pretty sad for a few days, but my other kids say they don't hate us for "lying" to them. It all sort of made sense to them after they thought about it.
Anyway, this is kind of long, but I hope you don't stress too much about it. You will explain it in a way that is kind and wise, and your children will be fine. In the meantime, enjoy the fun! :)