I know lots of people who enjoy blogging, but feel like they don't know what to talk about. I have - no such problem. In real life or here in bloggity-ville. I, unlike my Love, have never enjoyed silence.
There is a lot that I could talk about right now, like how I didn't get to brine my turkey this year because my Love dropped dish soap in my brine while it was cooling. Yeah, still makes me kinda sad...
So then I could tell you all about my c-r-a-z-y black Friday shopping experience yesterday! I was one of the psycho's that got to Wally's at 3:30 AM!! While I got some great deals, even I was questioning my own sanity...
Which brings me to the next thing I could discuss which is how my Love thinks I am insane for even going out, instead of watching football all day and eating left-overs. We don't remotely agree on the phrase, "thrill of the hunt"!
Or I could tell you how I had the worst moment in my career as mommy yesterday when I lost Caleb in a huge store with lots of people. I don't panic easily, but was absolutely hysterical. Thankfully, after the longest 5 minutes of my life he was found, looking for me, by a nice worker. He wasn't upset until he saw how unglued I was and then he started sobbing. Oh, how I love that little boy. Let's not talk about this anymore because it's starting to make me feel queasy!...
What I really want to talk about is my big dilemma right now. A dilemma that I have thus far been successful in evading, but can no longer. It starts with an S and ends with an A. Can you guess? Yep, the big man himself has suddenly invaded our home - in full force! And I don't quite know what I want to do about it.
Caleb and Luke wrote letters to Santa today. I was folding laundry when they kept coming in from the front porch to ask me how to spell things like "Darth Mal" and "Nintendo". Finally, I was super curious and went out there to see that they were up to. Caleb had already written Luke's letter for him and was working on his list. I didn't know what to say, so I walked back in the house wondering if my Love was saving someone's life or had time to counsel me on what to do. I decided against calling him at work for the 1000th time and just hoped that the boys would forget about this and move on.
They didn't. Instead they came in the house with their written letters sealed closed, "Santa" written on the outside along with their names, ages and sexes!..(So cute!)...and they were looking for stamps. Seriously.
From what I can gather, they got the idea from some of the neighbor kids. It doesn't help that people are always asking them what Santa is bringing them for Christmas. Or that they love the "Santa Clause is coming to town" song. *sigh*
Now Caleb, being the ever so inquisitive child that he is, has asked about Santa before. And I have been able to dodge the question. Which for this very perceptive child, has only made him more curious. I just don't know what to do.
There is something fun about believing in Santa. I did when I was a kid. And I have heard the theory - 'when they find out there's no Santa, perhaps they'll think Jesus isn't real either' - which I don't buy into because I know that never happened to me and I don't know anyone that has happened to. With that said, I don't want to lie to them either. Nor do I want them to be so wrapped up into Santa that they are more amazed by him than they are by our Savior's birth.
And therein lies my dilemma. I'd love some advice...how do you all handle this?
5 comments:
I was just discussing this dilemma with my mom yesterday. She brought out a recent focus on the family answer from Dobson, and he said that they did both. That there is something enchanting about Santa. My son is super curious about it this year and I just keep saying that he is make believe and that we celebrate Christmas with gifts because Jesus was a gift to us. I don't mind sharing Santa with him as long as I get through to him that it is a fun story...like Spiderman and Thomas Tank. However, I draw the line at giving an imaginary man credit for our gifts, they do need to know that mom and dad give the gifts, not the HO HO HO guy. :)
We have told Drake since he was very small that Santa is a "story". We still hang stockings and pretend that Santa fills them (and everybody gets one gift from Santa at our house), but at the end of the day, our kids know that he's not real. This is the way I was raised, and I know I couldn't lie to my kids. (This is our theory for the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny as well.) I feel they get the best of both worlds, because they still get the fun of playing along with the Santa thing, but we avoid any feelings of deception in our home. Plus I think that it helps them focus on Christmas as Jesus' birthday, since they don't have two "supernatural" events going on at the same time (one, of course, being real and one being made up).
By the way, my mom was one of those kids who seriously doubted the existence of God when she found out Santa (and the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, etc.) wasn't real. However, she's the only one I know of, so I think it's rare. No matter which way you end up doing it, I think your children will grow up with a healthy understanding of God and His love for them...and the real meaning of Christmas! It's the way you speak about the Lord year round, and I have no doubt that your kiddos hear the truth constantly. No matter what you decide, you're a great mom for challenging yourself to make the best decision for your family! So many people never think twice about stuff like this.
Kari - you crack me up! I agree completely, I have no interest in not getting credit for the gifts we give the boys!
Melonie, thanks for the encouragement and for the great thoughts. I think you're right, as long as we are talking about Jesus every day, what we say about Santa isn't all that signficant! Thanks for the reminder!
Sab, I dig your writings in bloggity-ville... and I agree with real-life family that living life in truth is the way to go with the kids. And to use their God given imagination for the fictional characters that brings fun and excitement to specific times in life. But that God is real and Jesus is our role model.
That's what I was going to say! We grew up knowing Santa wasn't real...mostly because I realized that Santa was at EVERY mall (we left before him, but he still beat us here? and he looks different....) We had the stockings and knew what everyone was talking about with the Fatso and the Elves, but we knew what was REAL about Christmas. No harm, no foul. Compliment their fine penmanship and creativity and encourage them to write a big awesome thank-you to God for the bestest gift ever. ;)
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