Search Results for: blog keeping the santa spirit alive

Do You Believe in Santa?

I grew up in a home where Santa was completely taboo. My mother hated him so much that we didn’t even have a single Santa decoration, we didn’t sing any Santa Christmas songs … I mean, it got a little intense sometimes. Now, as a mother, I can see her point – I don’t teach my children that Santa is real, either, but I ‘m not quite so fanatical about it. I actually have some Santa ornaments on my tree, we sing about “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” and we enjoy doing Secret Santas for people. The “S” word is not … Continue reading →

Keeping the Santa Spirit Alive

Conversation during carpool last week: My 6-year-old daughter: I can’t wait to tell Santa what I want for Christmas at the mall. My daughter’s five-year-old friend: That’s not Santa. Daughter: I know. The real Santa lives at the North Pole. Daughter’s friend: There is no Santa. He’s not real. Daughter: Yes, he is. He is real! Daughter’s friend: No he isn’t! There’s no such thing as Santa. Me: DEER!! DEER!! Did you see that deer running on the side of the highway? Who can help me find the deer? That was a close one. Christmas crisis averted… for now. Uh-huh, … Continue reading →

Paying the Price for Procrastinating

Am I the only parent who waits until 11:55 p.m. on Christmas Eve to start wrapping a closet full of gifts? Let the festive cloaking of toys and books begin… before my kid wakes up. My gift wrapping marathon typically begins after my young daughter goes to bed… or, rather, to sleep. On Christmas Eve that can take up to three hours. She’s cajoled into bed, but fights fatigue with every fiber of her being. The kid is determined to catch a glimpse of Santa, and this year even set a “trap” to prove to her doubting classmates that this … Continue reading →

Holiday Sanity Savers for Parents

The countdown is on. In just a few days my daughter’s Christmas break will commence. She delights in telling people that soon she won’t have to endure seven looooong hours a day in a classroom until 2012. I too am thrilled that she will be home, though I know better than to count on the time being stress-free. The first few days of the holiday hiatus from school is filled with giggles and grins, but by day three, I hear more, “Mom, I’m bo-bo-bored!” than “Ho, ho, ho!” Over the years, I’ve learned to prepare for periods of whines and … Continue reading →

Scrooge Lives in Chicago

My 7-year-old daughter truly believes there is a Santa Claus, and I would like to keep it that way for, oh, the next… 30 years. If you have other ideas on how Barbie’s Three-Story Dream Townhouse magically appears (fully assembled) at the foot of a lopsided Fraser Fir on Christmas morning, keep them to yourself. I’m talking to you Robin Robinson. Recently, the FOX Chicago news anchor took it upon her to dash the dreams of Santa-loving kids by declaring that the jolly ol’ gift bearer was no more real than a herd of pastel-colored unicorns. Robinson’s self-absorbed remarks came … Continue reading →

Is Technology Messing with Christmas Traditions?

Just how tech savvy is Santa anyway? Does the big guy in the red suit really communicate via a small smartphone? Are traditional paper letters to the North Pole on the brink of extinction? Are PDFs and instant messages the preferred method of sending one’s Christmas wish list to Jolly ol’ St. Nick? Say it ain’t so. Call me old-fashioned, stodgy, or a stalwart traditionalist, but I’m not a fan of the litany of new high-tech ways kids can communicate with Santa Claus. I don’t want my daughter emailing Santa, nor do I want her faxing, tweeting, Skyping, or texting … Continue reading →