What am I going to do once The Crew discovers there is no man in a red suit who delivers presents on Christmas?

I mean, I’m all about advancing the Santa myth.  Heck, I believe in Santa Claus (though not necessarily in the traditional sense).  I wrote about him last year (and that post continues to get the most hits of any on my blog!).

In any case, I had a sudden attack of guilt when I was threatening Bito with calling Santa Claus because his behavior has been so atrocious this morning.  And then I thought:  OMG.  One day I will have to look Bito in the eye and admit there is no Santa Claus.  He’s going to give me the most reproachful face and wonder why I lied to him all this time.  Because, you see, Bito buys it hook-line-and-sinker.  He loves Santa Claus and I think he’ll be extremely disappointed to discover it’s Mommy and Daddy who have been doing all the Santa-Clausing all this time.

I dropped my calling-Santa-threat and retreated to my computer to pour out my guilt-ridden heart here.  I don’t know what to do, but I guess I don’t have to do anything about it right now.  I still have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to get through…then maybe I’ll be able to move past my guilt.  I’m all for tabling it until next year.

Merry Christmas!

You see, all that snow made the roads messy.  The main artery in our neighborhood still hadn’t been plowed as of yesterday morning.  Even the big-main roads, although passable, weren’t looking too pretty.  Say what you will about the DC area’s snow removal process (or lack thereof), but if the roads aren’t safe, why compel the children to go to school?

Our county went ahead and closed for the entire short week (Monday through Wednesday) before Winter Break was to begin.  They announced this on Sunday evening, so we knew there would be no school until 2010.

This meant The Husband was home as well…and it gave me a bit of relief!  I was allowed to sleep in a couple of mornings.  I went shopping without children in tow.  I spend a little one-on-one time with each child baking cookies, finishing crafts, and shoveling the front walkway..  The Husband was relaxed and not worrying about work, so our time in the evenings after The Crew was asleep wasn’t stressed.  I didn’t have to surreptitiously find ways to wrap presents while the kids were watching TV.  The Husband and I were able to tag-team and keep everyone distracted!

So thank you, Snow-pocalypse.  You have given me an unexpected gift right before Christmas, one that I hadn’t even thought to ask for:  time to finish the stuff that needs to get done.  This might be the very best gift I’ve gotten this year!

Merry Christmas to you and your families.  May your holiday be filled with delight that will make beautiful memories for years to come.

The mad rush, the searches to find the perfect gift, the craziness, the commercialism, the traffic, the crowds, the cost…

Don’t get me wrong.  Once upon a time, I loved Christmas and all that came with it.  Those were the days when others were making Christmas special for my sake!  Now, however, I am one of the grown-ups who is tasked with making Christmas a delight for others.  I become frantic as I realize all that needs to be done.  It’s not the most enjoyable time of year for me.

Still, I muddle through and do the best I can.  And then, little moments get me:  I am gratified when I see the awe in Cupcake’s eyes.  Hearing BabyMuffin break into chants of, “Kiss-mas kiss-mas kiss-mas,” each time we go into any store that has holiday decorations (and let’s face it:  they all do) makes me realize that it is new and extraordinary to him.  And Bito’s thoughtful calculation of what to say to Santa when he goes to visit him at the mall amazes me with how this holiday is HUGE in his life.

And nevermind the sheer glee of Christmas morning!  That alone may make it worth it.

So that’s The Reason for the Season*.  It’s not about me.  Making the holiday sparkly and wondrous for The Crew is my goal, and of course I’ll work hard to make it exciting for them.  I’ll try to keep that in the front of my mind as I rush around this year.

*I am not ignoring Jesus’ birth as The Reason for the Season.  Honest.