We are still figuring out this whole "Santa" thing. Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays, because it's the time we celebrate Jesus' birth. I'm well aware that Jesus' actual birth likely occurred during the spring, and that the origins of the Christmas holiday as we experience it likely had more to do with pagan traditions than Christian ones.
It's very awkward, in my opinion, to somehow try and "split" the holiday between Santa and Jesus. And I'm uncomfortable with the idea of perpetuating a belief in a non-existent being... when I actually am asking my children to put their faith in an unseen being.
But I don't want to make a big deal about "the man in red," and I certainly do not want our kids telling other kids the hard facts about his non-existence.
I determined that this year I would check out some books from the library on St. Nick, and we could celebrate the goodness of him, instead.
But I couldn't find any of those books during my quick three-kid-accompanied trip to the library, and I forgot to find one online. So... maybe next year.
All that to say... I found Christmas Eve in front of the tree to be a bit anti-climactic. There were the gifts, ready to be opened in the morning. There were the kids, not quite "getting" it. And it occurred to me that we are still, even 3 1/2 years in, still figuring out who we are as a family unit.
We are still adding munchkins, and the oldest isn't really a "big kid" yet. We are in this weird, in-between stage... or maybe not even in-between. We are still in the baby stage -- "diaper valley" -- but we have one talking. And one close behind.
And I'm just marveling that there is so much yet to be determined in our family, where Daniel and I are the parents and Lucy is the oldest, and we don't even know who will be the youngest. It is a strange phase of life.
Happy New Year to you guys...you're doing a beautiful job figuring it out as you go, enjoying the "valley", appreciating the beauty in the now.
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