Santa

Earlier in December (before we all got sick) we went to see Santa. I LOVE Santa. I get more excited than the kids!

When I was at Kathryn's for book club, I noticed that she has a picture from each year of her kids with Santa, framed in small frames and out together. What a great idea - I'm totally doing that for next year!

Rebekah gave me one obligatory "all four" photo. Thanks bek!

Then she dived out of the way, and I got a few of the little one's together. Jane thought Santa was great, but wasn't too sure about the guy taking pictures! Don't you love Jacob's forced smile? They're also not sure if they should look at me, or the other photographer ...

Each year, this is my favorite shot of them with Santa - actually telling him what they would like.

Here were their Christmas wishes this for 2007. Emily - a bulletin board. Jacob - little blue cars, especially 'Dinoco' Lightning McQueen. Jane - anything baby.

We have our children ask for 1 thing from Santa. I like to discourage greediness, and a "gimme" attitude, and I think this helps. It's usually their major gift. They also ask us for something 'big' - then between siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc they have more than enough gifts. Santa always brings several items for the whole family too; because Santa likes to encourage sharing. It's always worked well for us, so we'll continue to do it that way.

So, right after Thanksgiving, I started asking the kids what they might like for Christmas. Emily came to me and said she'd really like "Another land." What?? "You know, like Narnia". Are you kidding me? Santa cannot bring that. I gently let her down, and explained that I was pretty sure Santa couldn't bring that, and could she please think of something else. She came back a few days later, and told me she had decided on what she'd like instead. "Three wishes for me, and one wish for every other kid in the world." The kid is killing me! Again, I gently explained how Santa probably couldn't do that - although I really appreciated her sweet generosity in thinking of all the other kids in the world. I was getting worried, was this going to lead to questions I didn't want to answer? Finally, she came to me and said she knew what she wanted. A bulletin board. Hooray! Yes, a bulletin board for her room, to hang her artwork on. Now THAT is something Santa can deliver - and he did. A really beautiful, custom-made fabric covered one. Bless her little heart, she loves it.