Christmas-Isms....

Decorating Cookies for Santa

He decided to hide in the fridge to wait to surprise Santa.

Putting out "reindeer food"

First Christmas Smiles

Putting out cookies for Santa

Checking to make sure the chimney is clean so Santa can get in...

Santa Claus

Twas the Night After Christmas

'Twas the night after Christmas
(Christmas morning that is),
and the children were finally sleeping,
new toys clutched tight in a fist.

Daddy was playing
with his new electronic
while Mommy surveyed the mess;
it made her quite sick.

Buzz Lightyear lay on his side, all but forgotten,
along with the My Little Ponies heaped on the ground.
Ripped wrapping paper littered one room to the next
And ribbons and bows and boxes lay strewn around.

Christmas had come and gone rather fast --
Weeks of shopping and planning forgotten so quickly
And nothing was left to remind Mommy and Daddy
except for the mess and the credit card fee.

When in the kitchen,
there arose such a clatter,
Mommy rushed into the kitchen
to see what was the matter.

When what to her wondering eyes should appear
but an unopened bottle of wine and a new case of beer.
Left there by that wonderful man, so lively and quick,
Mommy knew in a moment it must be St. Nick!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread.
"Drink this, you'll need it," he told her
pouring her a nice glass of red.

"For the next week will bring the noise
of new toys and the tantrums they bring,
but also the joy of watching your children
have fun with their new things.

And do not worry at all,"
he said with a wink.
"The year will fly by,
and Christmastime will be back in a blink.
With new demands for toys,
and new finance charges to be had.
So drink this right now,
and it won't seem so bad!"

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Are You Santa?

I can't take credit for this -- I found it on my friend's FB wall, and it moved me. I need to remember this for when I get the same question in a few short years.

"A 3rd grader left her mother a note that said:“Are you Santa? Tell me the truth.”

This was her mother’s reply....

Dear Lucy,

Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?” I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.

The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.

I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)

I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.

This won’t make you Santa, though. Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch. It’s a big job, and it’s an important one.

Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand.

Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments. Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.

With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible. So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.

I love you and I always will. Mama

--Martha Brockenbrough"

Wordless Wednesday

Remember when I mentioned wanting to wait until Thanksgiving was over to celebrate Christmas?

Well....

~~~

I'm mildly ashamed of myself.