Baby Jesus and Santa

Okay, I'm gonna start at the beginning....

Russell was raised in a loving Christian home. His parents decided early on no Santa, no Easter bunny, nothing. I was raised in a loving home but not in the church. My parents told us the whole Santa thing, until we found out on our own. They would have gifts from "Santa" (interestingly enough in my mother's hand writing).  Russell's brother and his family decided to continue the tradition, no Santa.  I remember learning about this when Russell and I were dating.  It didn't go over well with me the first time.  Hey, my favorite movie is "Miracle on 34th St".  Anyways, Russell and I did talk about it before we got married and we both agreed that we were ok with Santa.  Also because it would help include my family more.  In addition, as I saw Russell's brothers children grew up each one of the kids while entering public school struggled a lot with Santa.  At moments they would believe, because it was pushed so much at school.  But the struggle at home where it was reinforced that it's not real.  The look on the mom's face.  The look on the kids face.

So that brings me to how we did our kids.  I was okay with my kids knowing about Santa.  Like I said it was a way of tying in my family with the holiday.  But I always wanted Santa to be the runner-up.  I wanted Jesus to be the reason for the season.  I wanted Jesus to be more real to them than Santa is.  So we have decided to do some things and not to do others.  To have lots of talks.  To answer questions slightly differently.  But we still have fun with Santa.  But that brings us to now.  My daughter entered Kindergarten.  Wow, there is a lot of Santa push.  You would think some over zealous, doesn't have enough to do person (almost said lawyer, but I'll play nice) would claim separation of church and state.  After all, Santa is still celebrating Christmas.

Also, one of our normal family functions, "Back to Bethlehem":  Where a whole church changes their land into the city of Bethlehem.  There are people dressed the part walking around.  Everyone is in uniform.  Roman soldiers will yell at you if you look at them wrong.  Jewish teachers are in the corner teaching from the Torah.   And there is Joseph, Mary, and a real life baby in a barn that you can go see.  I loved taking the kids there, however; I am having a hard time finding one around.  There is one where we live but it is happening when we are going to be out of town.  When we go visit family they already ended.  Unless anyone knows of one?  Please.  That was my way of making Jesus more real.  Seeing Jesus' birth,  walking through Bethlehem. 

It's harder for Russell too.  He is having a hard time answering Penelope's questions about Santa.  I like to answer things like,  "Well, honey, he is as real as you want him to be."  Or something like that.  And at the end I always ask her, "What are we really celebrating?" and Penelope knows to answer "Jesus' birthday". 

Plus now that she is getting older there are some things that she can do now....write a letter to santa, sit on Santa's lap (we did these for the first time this year).  I was thinking about doing 'The Elf on the Shelf'.  For people who don't know.  It's a book and a toy elf.  You read the book, which has something to say about this elf that is really real and is going to sit up on a shelf and watches to make sure the kid is good or bad to tell Santa.  The parent without the kids knowing moves the elf occasionally so the kid really thinks that maybe it is real.  I told a friend about it.  Said I was thinking about it because I wanted the extra assistance/ leverage in having proper behavior.  She said it reminder her a lot about idols in foreign lands.  An inanimate object that is "real" and can pass "judgment" on you.  My response was, "Say no more.  Not gonna do that.  Don't want to miss with that".  I'm not condemning you for doing it.  I just couldn't after making that connection.  (That friend also does no Santa with her kids). 

We don't do presents from Santa.  We haven't yet done cookies and milk for Santa.  Never left a carrot for the reindeer.  Presents use to sit under the Christmas tree as I bought and wrapped them until the kids started getting into them.  Now they only come out right before hand.  I like the cartoon character of Santa.  I like the make-believe-ness.  Encouraging him being real, as much as Mickey Mouse is while you are at Disneyland (Hey, we are really big Disney fans.)  And somehow it has slipped away from that.  Is it a phase that I cannot completely control?  Is there a different direction I should be going in?  I'm not about to tell my daughter, "Sorry honey.  But really, Santa isn't real.  It's just a fake story."

FYI I'm not looking forward to Christmas with the older cousins who know very well there is no Santa and my daughter enthralled with him right now. 

.

Back in the saddle again

We got bikes for Christmas. We got them for the whole family (don't spill it to the kids yet). But we also got them for ourselves. No, we didn't put a bow on them and set them aside only to be used on Christmas. The day we bought them, after we got the kids to bed, we went out for a bike ride. Yes, we had an adult at the house, we didn't leave the kids unattended. But riding on a bike brought back so many childhood memories. Russell and I haven't had a bike since childhood. I don't remember what happened to mine. Russell remembers his being stolen right out of his garage when left open for only a little bit unattended.

Just like riding a bike you never forget, or ya, riding a bike. I remember going on the many camping trips my parents would take us on.  We (my sister, brother, and I) would go through bike rides through the camp ground, sometimes down to the lake.  It was a beautiful camp ground.  If only someone remembered where it was that we went those times.  We would all sing at the top of our longs "Ba, ba, ba, ba.....bad to the bone.....ba, ba, ba, ba....bad to the bone".  Not that we were bad or pretended to be so.  It was just a fun song.  It was a time full of laughter and fun.  Everyone was always in a good mood.  The sky was always shining and the weather was never too hot.  At least in my head.  Hopefully someday I can impart memories like that to my kids. 

On a side note,  I've been feeling a little under the weather lately.  I've had a pounding headache.  I thought maybe I was having migraines.  Since I couldn't shake it and no medicine I found over the counter was touching it.  I went to the urgent care.  The doctor said it was a sinus headache, "since migraines are more chronic".  Meaning I should have had more then one in my whole life.  Well, I guess I understand that idea.  Either way he got me some stronger pain medication and I was again able to be part of civilization again.  I have a prescription for antibiotics if the headache doesn't go away in a couple of days.   Don't worry my pain prescription isn't needing a triplicate or anything.  But I am okay with taking it.  Because I was either rolled in a ball holding my head trying not to move in pain.  Or able to do the fun things with my kids before Christmas, with a little medicinal aid.