Traditions

Even before we had kids, stringing cranberries was an every-single-Christmas sort of thing.  I had no idea how much more fun it would be do this with Addy this year.  She handed me every single cranberry to pierce with the needle, narrating as she went, "This one is the HUUUGEST!" or in a squeaky voice, "This one is teeny tiny!"  

At Christmastime last year, she was only about a year and a half old, so frankly, most of our Christmas activities were probably mostly for this mama's benefit.  Sister gets it this year, and it's AH-MAZING.  I'm so excited to write the the stories that will define Christmas for our littles.  New jam-jam's on Christmas Eve, Reindeer Food sprinkled in the driveway, buying presents off an Angel tree, decorated cookies for Santa Claus, snowy footprints on the fireplace hearth, and....

This guy!  Yup.  We're in.  We've adopted ourselves an Elf on a Shelf.  For those of you who aren't familiar, here's the deal...This little elf comes with a cute book to explain to the kids how it all works.  

Each time the holidays roll around, Santa sends his elf to live with our family.  The elf watches and reports to Santa on everything the kids do.  The book explains that the first time the elf comes to your house, you have to be sure to name him to make him feel welcome.  Addy promptly named our elf Pete.  A few hours later, at the dinner table, when I asked her to take a bite of her dinner, she turned to the elf and said, "Look, Peter Potter, I'm eating my dinner."  So apparently, Pete is short for Peter Potter.  Moving on.  Every night, when the kids go to sleep, Peter Potter will fly to the North Pole using Christmas magic to laugh and play with the other elves and to report to Santa.  He'll let him know if the kids have been good or bad, what they would like for Christmas-all the important stuff.  He then will fly back and find a new spot in our house before the kids wake up.  Elves are pretty mischievous, so it will be a lot of fun for them to wake up and find out what he's been up to (we've he's got big plans).  The book also explains that if you touch the elf, he might lose his magic and that Santa says he can't talk to us, but he will listen and watch everything.  Addy has already pointed out to Peter Potter that she helped her dad put a fire in the fireplace (she carried a log) and that she picked up her toys.  She's also told him, "I think Brother Cohen is a good baby." 

So yes, we're encouraging the Santa thing, hopefully in ways that will make them feel excited and curious.  I want them to know the magic that is Christmas.  Years from now, when Peter Potter has taken up permanent residence in a red and green storage tote, I hope they find magic in giving to others.  And I hope that they know how much we're thankful that we get to make Christmas memories with them every single year.

I'm feeling really in-the-spirit.  I'm off to bed...ready for visions of sugarplums to dance in my head.