Once Joe and I started celebrating together, we mostly stuck to Oregon because time off for Joe was hard to get. Once infertility became a cloud in our lives I kind of wanted to cancel Christmas all together and for a couple of years did the bare minimum to get by and still call it Christmas. And then...along came Taelin...and Christmas took on a whole meaning.
This year we did a lot of things in December to prepare for Christmas. I tried to balance what we did so that she understood this time of year isn't about her and what she gets. I tried to make it about the time we have with the people that are important to us. I tried to make it about helping those that we don't even know that need help in some way.
We followed some of the list that I had planned but plans have a way of changing and I just tried to roll with it. We made homemade gifts. We decorated the house with hand-printed Christmas trees and paper snowflakes. We baked for our neighbor, teachers and friends. We shopped for the perfect presents and used A LOT of tape and paper to wrap them. We shopped for the fire department's toy drive, purchased gloves and scarves for the service project that was going on at work and donated food to the food bank. We hung Christmas lights, read Christmas books, watched Christmas movies and sang Christmas songs. And of course, there was Santa.
One of the things I do remember from my childhood was going to visit Santa at the bank when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I don't remember which year for sure, but I do remember that we were living in Terry, MT at the time so it had to be either 4th or 5th. I don't remember whether I was a believer at that point or not but I do remember that my sister was being five years younger. Really the only thing I remember was that we lived in Terry and my sister was downright terrified of sitting on Santa's lap. Like crying-screaming-you-can't-make-me and we didn't get the picture that I think my mom was hoping for. I don't remember any big reveal or feelings of betrayal when I learned Santa's real story but I did remember Lorie's terrified feelings about Santa and had my own feelings of guilt when we started to tell Taelin about Santa.
We downplayed a part of it. We don't tie Santa's present bringing to whether she has been bad or good. There is nobody watching to see what she is doing to see if she is deserving. (Quite frankly I think that is a little creepy.) She does think though that Santa lives at the "North Cold" and has elves that make presents and then he brings them. He likes cookies and he likes reindeer. This year was the first year that we actually wrote a letter (I dictated it). It is adorable.
Here are my most favorite parts:
1. She wanted a princess castle and a tool work bench. What can I say, she wants balance.
2. She liked Christmas because she got to pass out presents.
and
3. She is writing her own name, one letter at a time, and it melts my heart.
We sent the letter (to my pile of scrapbook stuff) and then planned a visit to go see Santa. Between the two, a friend of mine posted a letter on Facebook that she sent to her niece after being the recipient of her niece's Santa letter. The letter was to her niece from Santa and had some personalized details about her niece and her wishes. She had so much fun she offered to write similar letters for any of her friends with small kids. I jumped at the chance and after our visit with Santa shared some of the details of Taelin's list and visit. Not a few days later we received this.
I would have never guessed in a million years the excitement that followed.
First of all, her reaction:
I knew it was coming and so when Joe brought the mail in and I saw the letter I did was any scrapbooker would...grab the camera. Joe clicked away and we got some great pictures of the range of emotions. I was right that she would be excited but I had no idea what would come next.
That night I think I reread the letter 20 times. It was what she picked for her bedtime story. The next day I lost track around 30 sometime before lunch. She has showed that letter to every person that has come into our house and told anyone that would listen from cashier at Fred Meyers to the barista at Dutch Bros. She even told a couple of people that weren't really interested.
It was absolutely magical and I will forever be grateful to my friend who took the time to create those moments for my daughter.
On my own list there was kind of funny little item. Take a picture with Santa. I don't know why, almost three years ago, I thought it was important. Maybe because I don't have any from when I was a kid. Maybe it was because I thought it would make a cute holiday picture. Who knows. But what I do know is that when we were there, watching Taelin visit with Santa, it just didn't matter that I get a picture of Santa. Sure I could have done it. I could have paid my three bucks, hopped up in the sleigh and had Joe take a picture. But it just didn't matter. That item on the list will go undone and that's ok. I did take a picture of Santa though, and in a very big way I guess I was sitting right beside him.
What did matter was the joy and magic that I saw in the children (not just in my daughter) the day we went to see Santa and the happiness and delight she felt every time we reread that letter. I know that Christmas is more that just Santa but I think it would be hard to argue for most people that there isn't something just a little magical about kids and Santa.
It was a wonderful Christmas season. The best one yet. I can't wait to sit down with my December Daily album to add pictures and journal about our time together and the moments she melted my heart with her kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.
Oh I think you can cross that off the list. It didn't say anywhere that it had to be you taking the photo with santa, but you did do the spirit of a Santa Photo in a way more meaningful way.... Woot!! Now cross that puppy off!!
ReplyDeleteAlso for the record...it doesn't help you calm your fears about Santa when he smells like Jim Bean :)