Christmas!

With two five-year-olds and a three-year-old, Christmas is very magical and fun.  The kids love Santa, don't expect a lot, and are happy with what they do get.  They are slightly excited about presents they choose for others, but it's still pretty much about them.  Hopefully, they will maintain their happy attitudes about Christmas and increase their capacity for empathy and the giving spirit in the coming years.  Regardless, this year was pretty darn fun.  We made Christmas calendars/behavior charts for the first time.  Anna somehow managed to make it the whole month without a single frowny face.   And, we continued some other traditions like baking for Santa, listening to lots of Christmas music, and looking for our Elf on the Shelf.  The only thing missing was Thomas.

Christmas Eve was exciting.  Despite all our counting down, they seemed surprised to learn we were actually just one night away from Christmas morning!  I let them open up their Christmas pajamas (another tradition), we kept an eye on the NORAD tracker, and watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  It was a fun night.  It was easy to get them into bed, since they knew Santa wouldn't visit if they were still awake.

Unfortunately, bed time for them meant work time for me.  I had bought them a Power Wheels Dune Buggy.  Assembly required.  That is much more Thomas' forte than mine (I need to do a blog on all the things I have had to put together myself in the past 2 months).  Most reviews said assembly would take about an hour.  It took me around 3.  By the time I had everything ready for the morning, it was close to 1, which is way past my bed time.

The kids got up at their regular time (around 7:30), which was nice.  Thomas was going to try and Skype with us, but the Liberty Center didn't open until 9.  The kids opened their stockings and then got the rare treat of daytime t.v. (in this case, Dora the Explorer Christmas Special) while we waited.  They also had cinnamon rolls, which is Jennifer's tradition.  Finally, it was 9 and the computer rang.  

Thomas got to see them open about 1 present each before the connection was lost.  Too many people on the computers.  That was disappointing.  The kids opened another present and then decided to take a break to play.  The whole morning was filled with presents and play breaks.  It was relaxing and fun.  Jack had "lots of work" to do after opening up some new legos.  

Around 2, the girls decided they wanted to try out their scooters.  About the same time, we noticed a note from Santa under the tree.  In short, it said that there was another present that was too big to fit under the tree. They went on a hunt and found the Dune Buggy in the garage.  

Let me just say that Jack is a terrible driver.  Anna could only stand to be a passenger for about 3 minutes before she was screaming, "let me out of this thing."  However, she was only slightly better.  Kara was surprisingly good, probably because she actually listened to directions instead of insisting she, "knows how to drive."  Fortunately, there is a safety screw that keeps it at 2.5 mph.  It will be awhile before they have the option of the speedy 5 mph.  

Then, it was back inside to call relatives to thank them.  It was a fun day.  Jack kept calling it "Christmas Eve," so I was worried about his expectations this morning.  Fortunately, he was happy to get up and play with all his toys.  

Some of the aftermath. 

Kara's favorite present was her dreamlight.  She means "all of them."  Anna said she liked her polly pocket stuff.  Jack also said all of them, when I asked him for a favorite he said he needed a few minutes to think about it.  He finally chose a giant robot toy as his favorite.  Kara is also excited about a Toys-R-Us gift card their grandmother sent for whatever Santa may have missed.  

The Santa Dilemma (to lie or not to lie)

I remember the moment when the myth of Santa unraveled.  I was 7 or 8 and had just lost a tooth.  I was pretty creeped out by the idea of the tooth fairy.  I just didn't understand why anyone would want my old teeth.  Frankly, I didn't want the crazy lady coming into my bedroom while I slept.  I may have even had a nightmare.  My mother was left with no choice but to tell me the truth--the Tooth Fairy was not real.  From there, it all unraveled; if the Tooth Fairy wasn't real, then obviously Santa and the Easter Bunny were also make-believe.  As a side-note, I later learned that most people picture the Tooth Fairy as a small, fairy-like flying being.  Makes sense, right?  For some reason, I pictured her as a full grown, somewhat odd woman. It was no loss to discover that she was not real.  I can't say I was really surprised, I had suspected for quite some time that all of the mythical beings were in fact, just mythical beings.  The only one that I felt any loss over was good ole Saint Nick.

I kept the secret from my friends, and even listened while one friend insisted she had seen him and his reindeer on her roof on Christmas Eve.  Now, I am the mother and am confronted with my own misgivings on the matter.

When Thomas and I were in school we met a girl who presented the idea that when children are told Santa Claus is not real, they also believe that Jesus is not real.  After all, we get presents from Santa to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  And, their parents kept one truth from them, so the logic flows that parents may be harboring other secrets (betrayals). I had never heard that theory before but it's pretty prolific on the Internet.  The idea of my children feeling angry or betrayed when they found out there was no Santa Claus was a thought that has stuck with me.

Like most parents, I don't like lying to my children.  They have never asked point blank if Santa is real, but they are asking about Twinkles, our Elf on the Shelf.  Specifically, they indicated that we must have bought him at the store because he has a tag.  Good catch, kids.  I have given them a few answers when the question came up.  First, I suggested that if the question might result in an answer they don't like, it may be better to just not ask (i.e. maybe I'll say he is, and that's great, but if I say he's not, that may take away some of the fun, so do you really want to ask the question?).  This satisfied the girls who concluded I was going to say he was real and they didn't need to ask.  Jack was not so easily satisfied.  So, I asked them other reasons he might have a tag.  Perhaps the tag is a tracking device?  Maybe I bought him at the store because someone has to pay his salary while he's away from the North Pole (that was my contribution and it lead to a lot of discussion about why an Elf might need some cash and therefore diverted him from the initial question).  But, I couldn't bring myself to tell them that Twinkles was indeed a real Elf sent from the North Pole to watch them.  I am not sure if Thomas would have any such qualms.  But, unfortunately, he's not here to spread the magical Christmas cheer.

I believe that all three of (strongly) suspect the Elf on the Shelf is pretend and not really reporting their behavior on a nightly basis.  However, they aren't positive--if they are misbehaving and I ask Twinkles if he's planning to report it, they certainly take notice.  If they learn that Twinkles isn't real, will that unravel Santa Claus?

I know there is a difference between make-believe fantasy and outright lying.  We certainly do a lot of imaginative play in our house.  But, I have to be honest here--I am just not sure how to handle this one.  It is fun to believe in Santa and to pretend and I don't want to take that from them prematurely.  However, I also don't want them to think that if I kept this from them, what other secrets do I harbor.  I suspect I will just tell them that once they stop believing in Santa, they won't get any more presents from him.  That should keep them going for a decade or so.

ETA:  While a storm kept me awake last night, I did some research and found that just about everyone agrees that the vast majority of children do not feel betrayed by parents, nor does it make them question Jesus or anything else, except maybe the Tooth Fairy.  Rather, it is very helpful in encouraging all the types of imaginative play that is good and important for children.  So, I am good.  This post is pretty much moot.  Is that Reindeer I hear on the roof???

A Day in the Life of the Wilsons

I know of several people that blog every day, or close to it.  My life is no where near that exciting and my thoughts lack the profoundness that such an endeavor would require.  However, I thought it would be fun to give it a try.  Also, I did not plan this out, so I didn't do anything exciting or out of the ordinary just to have something to write about.  You've been warned.

So, Monday, the 10th of December.  The kids woke up at their usual time (around 7:30).  Kara has a habit of going into Anna's room, turning on Anna's light, and playing with Anna's toys, while Anna is still sleeping.  You can imagine how well this goes over.  As is typical, around 7:40, after their brief altercation, Anna and Kara came into my room to ask if it's time to get up.  I try to make them hold out until 8, which is what we did this morning.

Jack sometimes sleeps until after 8, but this morning I was happy to see that everyone was up and dressed.  Kara was wearing black puppy leggings with a dirty shirt (it had dried yogurt all over it, I'm not sure how it avoided the dirty clothes basket) and a Christmas sweater.  Anna wore a blue summer dress, purple leggings, and a pink sweatshirt.  Jack can't really make those kind of combinations with his wardrobe choices, but he does sometimes put on shorts in the middle of winter, so today I was happy to see him in weather-appropriate clothing.

Since it's December, we began the search for Twinkles, our resident Elf on a Shelf.  Today, he had fallen asleep on a chair, with one hand on the remote control and the other in a bowl of popcorn.  I wonder if he ever actually makes those nightly reports to the North Pole?  Last night he spent time making pictures of himself in the copier.  He's not much of a go-getter.

After a typical breakfast (bagels, nutrigrains, toast, yogurt, fruit, vitamin drinks, etc), I had an appointment to take Jack somewhere.  We also went by the base so I could pick up the case files for Wednesday's docket (my next work day).  While in the car, he got irritated because his voice didn't sound right (he has a cold).  After explaining there was no medicine I could buy that would help, he declared he was done talking...forever.  That lasted about 22 seconds.  After a quick trip to Walmart to purchase some patches for some of Jack's (relatively new) jeans, we were back at home.

Jennifer had given the kids some puzzles, which were waiting for them under the Christmas tree this morning.  Jack did his by himself when we got home.  We took a picture to send to Daddy.

Lunch was hotdogs & pringles (all 3), salad (Anna), and carrots with ranch dressing (Kara) washed down with milk.  Despite the wet conditions, they all went outside for a bit, where Anna and Kara fought over who could ride the skateboard attachment on the swing set.

Then, it was off to preschool for Jack and Anna.  I had given them some money for the Santa's Secret Workshop, but apparently that ended on Friday (they came home on Friday to tell me about it and say that Monday was the last day).  They were disappointed, I was irritated by the lack of communication about the event.  I also wasted a lot of valuable time trying to teach Jack that he wasn't, "wasting his money," by buying presents for Anna and Kara (which by the way was my money, it's not like I made him take it out of his piggy bank).  That was a losing battle.

Kara is an easy child to have home alone.  I traded some e-mails with Thomas while she looked at books.  We had a snack, she colored.  It was a very low-key afternoon, where in retrospect Kara didn't get much attention.

At 3:30, we left to get Jack and Anna, listening to Christmas songs on the way.  We got home, I gave Jack and Anna a snack.  Then, they went into the basement to play.  Jack was bothering the girls by playing "Halloween", which meant jumping out and yelling at them.  After multiple attempts to get him to stop, I gave him the choice of timeout or going to his room.  He stomped up to his room, mumbling all the way and then slammed the door (a big pet peeve of mine).  So, I stomped behind him, also mumbling along the way and gave him another talk on slamming doors.

I made dinner, no one ate it.  I can't blame them, it was pretty bad (cheesy Velveeta skillet meal--just add chicken).  We won't be trying that again.  Now, they are watching their nightly hour of tv, while I type away.  Around 7:30, we will brush teeth, maybe read a book and then hopefully Thomas will call to say goodnight.

And that, my friends, is a Day in the Life of the Wilsons.

Photo Book

Every year we do a Shutterfly Photo book.  We buy one for us and each child to have as a keepsake.  Since we don't scrapbook, this is our compromise for the family.  I say "every year," but so far we have done 2010 and now 2011.  I think Thomas is about halfway done with 2009 (a project that is on hold for now).  I want to go back to 2007 when Jack and Anna were born, but we'll see.  They take me several hours to create, but I do love the end result!  [And, if you are wondering why I am posting this now, Shutterfly has a promotion where if you embed a project on your blog you get a $10/off coupon.]

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book just the way you want.