OMG! It's almost as exciting as Oprah's list, save for the free Volkswagons and cruises and giveaways of any kind. And the commercial fanfare and approval from Stedman Graham. But this list has still been thoughtfully compiled. Maybe someday it will have its own claymation special! With a soundtrack! With ill-advised duets with, like, Mariah Carey and Kenny Loggins to boot!
1.) Peppermint Hot Choco at Ula Cafe
Yes those are candy cane bits on top of frothy creamy chocolatey yum tasty goodness. By jove, it's like they made it JUST FOR ME!
2.) Fancypants duct tape. I bought this from Tarjay and I cover everything with it. Gifts. Signage. Preschoolers' hands that need to be made waterproof.
3.) Darling prints from my mate Helen's Etsy Shop o' Prints that she done photographed herself. I think she is so talented!
4.) The Gingerbread Pops kit. We testdrove the house kit a few years ago with my in-laws and it was wicked fun, but the pops are the perfect activity if you are hosting a party of a motley crew.
5.) Chillin' in my holiday menagerie
6.) Little Man's Cheeks
Each sold separately
7.) The Throwback Little Tykes Dollhouse
I have had such fun tracing various pieces of it through e-bay.
9. Don't tell my Mary Kay posse but I really like this lip tint from Fresh. It's long-lasting and has some lemon oil in it that is really yummy.
10.) The Flour Cookbook. Flour and I go way back. Both of my children gestated on Flour bakery goods. I bought this for my stepmother for Christmas. I hope she likes it, but more importantly, I hope she makes me the Chunky Lola cookies. Which may or may not be found on page 97. Please and thank you.
This is the post where you decide that the person named Kendra you thought you really liked is actually a complete communist nutter and you should not only stop reading her blog but stop associating with her altogether.
Some people have recently asked if Baby Girl is excited for Santa to come. My response on the spot is, "Nah, not really, we don't make a big deal out of the whole Santa thing."
But my more expansive response is: "Nah, not really, we don't make a big deal out of the whole Santa thing."
Ahhh. It's all so unbelievably clarion now, right?
No, seriously, this was a very hard decision. Growing up, my old man Big Pops lived in a state of mania from October 31 to January 1. The man loves holidays, birthdays, and is particularly hysterical about Christmas. Big Pops has not outgrown this hysteria.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
In fact, with the addition of grandchildren, I receive daily texts about imminent Christmas specials on ABC and reminders to send him my wish list. Because the statute of limitation for your holiday wish list apparently extends to one even when she is 30 years-old.
So as far as families in which to grow up, I pretty much hit the Santa jackpot. So why would I not want to carry on this tradition for my own wee elfin ones?
Here's the thing. I'm not opposed to the lore of Santa, of presents, of surprises on Christmas morn. But I have two chief goals as a parent, and they are:
1. To lead my children to Christ and
2. To always tell them the truth. Period.
I value these objectives more than anything, I feel the weight of them, I carry them as a burden.
I don't see how I can point my children to Christ, Christ who knows their inner thoughts and the intimations of their very hearts, if for a portion of the year, I am cautioning them that "Santa is watching..." I want them to know that Christ is always watching, but not in a way that determines a temporary reward, but with great interest for their eternal reward.
I also have a deep conviction for telling my children the truth. I would definitely say that for a good portion of my life, I had a problem with lying. I have lied to my parents, to the dearest of friends, to bosses, to myself. I was such a crafty liar that at times, I think I began to believe my own lies. Becoming a Christian for me has meant to put an end to dishonesty. To really come before God and be honest about my shortcomings and know how ugly it is to lie, and how beautiful and courageous it can be to tell the truth. I never realized how many opportunities there are to lie to children. When I was trying to ween my daughter off of her pacifier, everyone encouraged me to tell her about the "Binkie Fairy" that took the pacifiers to children in need. It was a surefire way to rid child of the binks. I was determined not to lie, though, and the process was surely painful (see also: How to Lose Your Mind in 9 Days) but for me it would have been more painful had I invented some fantastic tale, and for me, I could see how it would just become a slippery slope every time I needed to get my kids on board with something.
I have no judgment of parents who do the Santa thing with their children. As I mentioned, I reaped the rich benefits of a Santa-crazed upbringing. But I feel this is the right decision for our family. Our children will receive plenty of presents and enjoy many surprises in their lives I am sure. And we will tell them from where they came. I suppose some may say that I'm building an awfully tall soapbox while my children are still so young, but the view looks pretty good from here, so if you need me, this is where I'll be.
Here is a cranberry bog not far from the entrance to Edaville, quite close in fact to the parking lot where you will happily park for free and pay no mind as to where exactly you parked.
Here we are after arriving at Edaville where we parked the car in a vast parking lot that had no distinctive markers as to which section or row to remember where one parked the SUV in a sea of SUVs.
This is the gargantuan Santa who can probably see as far to the parking lot and bears witness to all of the hassled park-goers doing the Where Did I Park Again shuffle every night in the dark.
This is a mouse but Baby Girl thought he looked more like Roo from Winnie the Pooh. He is smiling because he didn't have to drive and park at Edaville.
This is Baby Girl mocking Humpty Dumpty who parked himself outside the gift shop. Smart move since he'll never get lost or shattered by parking himself there.
This is Little Man asking Santa for a mother who doesn't lose her car in the parking lot at Edaville.
This is a quaint little light display representative of a time in the 1800s when people never lost their means of transport because they were attached to horses that nayed and brayed in the dark so you could easily find them.
Here are Baby Girl and her BFF, blissfully unaware that the sun is going down, rendering it nearly impossible to...yeah...you know the deal.
Riding the train, scoping out the lights, blissfully unaware of the parking fiasco.
About twenty minutes before I lost the car.
Overheard twenty minutes later: "Mommy, what seems to be the problem? You wost our car?"
10.) The Flour Cookbook. Flour and I go way back. Both of my children gestated on Flour bakery goods. I bought this for my stepmother for Christmas. I hope she likes it, but more importantly, I hope she makes me the Chunky Lola cookies. Which may or may not be found on page 97. Please and thank you.
