Make Me Smile Monday

On Saturday we woke up and went downstairs to see if Santa had eaten his cookies and to see if any new presents had made there way under the tree, which of course they had. This in turn resulted in much squealing and jumping up and down. Before opening our stockings however, it's tradition at our house to a couple of Christmas stories. We like to really take our time and savour every moment. This year we read "God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren and "A Fruitcake Christmas" by Max Lucado. Then we read the story of Jesus birth from "The Picture Bible" (our copy has a plain red cover):



After reading we opened our stockings and then enjoyed some Bacon and Potato Breakfast Pizza with some fresh fruit and orange juice for breakfast.

What really made my heart sing this Christmas was how appreciative each of our children were when opening their presents. A few years ago we began a "one person opens one present at a time" policy (as a way to help ensure we were able to really soak in all the excitement and make it last). They did such an incredible job! It was so nice to see them show appreciation and give thank-yous and hugs with little to no reminders. It really was such a fun and relaxing time. And such a great learning experience!

A highlight of the morning for me was when Jason and I were explaning the significance of the Learning to Read gift we bought through World Vision. We shared how some children don't get the chance to learn to read and write. This really hit home to our 7 year old daughter. "That's horrible," she said "reading's the greatest!"  There was so much sincerity and compassion in her response. She was so happy we could be giving these gifts; I thought it was beautiful.

Santa Claus and Egg-Nog

So, now after sharing my thoughts on celebrating Christmas, I thought it would be fun to share what role Santa plays in our lives.

When Sarah was 2 years old I deliberated about what to tell her about Santa. I had such a hard time telling her he's real because - well - he isn't! At the same time I worried that it might steal some of the excitement and joy from the season if we didn't. I wasn't sure what to do. In the end Jason and I decided to tell her the truth - that Santa's not real. To us this never meant boycotting Santa, we just simply hoped to avoid the potential heartbreak of eventually discovering the truth. It was a question of do we tell her now or later? It's been interesting to see how things have developed since then.

***As a side note: we've made sure to be very clear that this is something children need to find out from their parents - not their friends - so they know not to "break the news" to anyone.

One thing I've been happy to see is that much the way kids love princess movies and superheroes (all the while knowing they're pretend) our kids have enjoyed a lot of excitement over Santa. We go visit him every year down town where he sets himself up in front of the post office. They are more than willing to tell Santa what they would like for Christmas. Every Christmas Eve, we set out homemade chocolate chip cookies and egg-nog for Santa (did you know Santa loves egg-nog?) to eat when he fills the stockings. They know that it's really their daddy who eats and drinks the snack, and giggle with excitement each Christmas morning when they run down stairs to make sure he really came. Children have such great imaginations!

This is the second year I've ordered gifts through World Vision (Agriculture Packs, Hygiene Kit and Literacy for Children) to go in the kids stockings and I plan on making this an annual tradition. I love the fact that we can talk openly with our children about these children who are in need without wondering why Santa doesn't have it covered.

I've also noticed that knowing he's not real has allowed them to focus more on giving to the rest of the family and appreciate what's been given to them, knowing that someone who loves them picked it out with great thought and care.

Anyways, that's what we do at our house. I'd love to hear what you do at yours!!! :)

Make Me Smile Monday

There's a sound I hear around our house multiple times a day. It's an everyday sound and there's nothing  especially pretty about the sound itself. It's the sound of our front door. Specifically it's that metallic sound the door knob makes when someone reaches out, gives it a turn and pushes the door open. We come and we go and the front door opens and closes as any good door should. It gets a lot of use. Usually, I don't give it too much thought.

Five days a week however, this same "everyday sound" takes on a life of its own. At the end of the day when Jason gets home from work the sound of door opening is like music to my ears. It reminds me of the excitement I felt 10 years ago when we were first dating. I love knowing that he's home safe and sound. I love knowing we'll be sitting down to have dinner together as a family. I love the sound of squeals and laughter as our children run and jump into his waiting arms.

I thank God for the muscial sound of our front door when my husband arrives home from work, the even more frequent sounds of a busy young family in their comings and goings and especially for safe arrivals!