Santa Clause is Coming to Town?

Last Friday my kids, after breakfast, decided they wanted to make their Christmas lists, seeing all the new toy magazines coming in the mail. So seeing that the "toothpast has already been sqeezed out" (meaning once it is out you can't put it back) thanks to all the retail stores and the mall beginning their decorations for Christmas two weeks ago and toys already on the mind of my children I thought, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So as a writing assignment for those who write in our family I helped them make a list of what they wanted. Now after beginning this whole ordeal they began saying was their list for Santa. Yes, we sort of play the Santa game... We did Santa at my house growing up and I still knew what Christmas was really about, and still chose to follow Christ and be a missionary at the age of 7.

So to get on with the story, we decided to go to the mall as a family Friday night with Daddy. We joked around about wondering if the Christmas tree would be up yet... thinking that was preposterous... but little did we know not only was it up, but when we arrived, there were Christmas carolers outside singing Christmas songs, the snow machine blowing snow off of the building as it does every Christmas Season... And at 7pm Santa arrived and went to sit in his Santa chair as kids lined up to tell him what they wanted for Christmas and for their family to pay for expensive pictures. Now this is Nov, 7 mind you. 7 weeks before Christmas. We haven't even eaten all our Halloween candy yet.

So what did we do? Well since our kids had made Christmas lists, and Austin had even brought his, we got in line with all the other crazy parents, and went and saw Santa. The funny thing was that he didn't even ask them what they wanted for Christmas. He sort of lectured them on how to make a Christmas list and letting mom and dad help, and since we weren't taking a picture they just sort of stood around him (that's what they do to keep anyone from trying to sneak a photo from a distance with a telephoto lens without them knowing it). They didn't even sit on his lap (not that I really want them to :-) It was a very strange experience and Levi and Austin were a little sad because he did not ask them what they wanted for Christmas.

So, what an awesome opportunity to remind them what Christmas is really about!! Jesus would never put them off. He even died for them because he wants to hang out with them for all eternity, and will give them anything they want when they get to heaven... and much of what they want here on earth. :-)