The truth.....

The following blog is not meant for little eyes..heads up.
This year David & I decided it was time to share the truth to the 2 youngest children about a certain mythical creature. Yes, that one...
Sometimes I really think my kids have brain damage. They fight @ Christmas time. Who does that? and why? duh! Well, my 2 youngest do evidently. So after hearing & seeing the episodes of fighting. I looked @ David & he looked @ me..and at that moment..it all came out. Before you go judging...Zach is nearly 12 & Gabby is now 10 years old. They were suspicious.
It was a very similar situation as what happened MANY years ago when Susie was naughty I guess..and dear mother in law Sandy belted out a similar phrase as did David " There is no Santa Claus."
After you say it, it is there. It can not be taken back! And then the flood of tears came from the girl. hours...later she was feeling better until she realized that there was no Easter bunny or tooth fairy....more tears.
Do I (we) regret it? Maybe...a tiny bit. Before you judge on that one....it only gets better....
So, I sat the kids down and said, "Kids, it is time we make Christmas more about the giving then the receiving!" I was happy to hear them all agree. So, now that we know about Santa it is time to be a Santa. We proposed a gift of service to a person or family in our neighborhood each week of December.
Before I get a head of myself....David & I asked each of the children what they would like for a Christmas gift. We told them our budget. They stated what they wanted. Let me warn you....as children get older they like those expensive electronic thingies! David & I made our plan & we were off to do some black Friday shopping. We came home to eager faces...they all knew what they were getting. We then did something we have never done before, we offered them their Christmas gifts unwrapped 2 days after Thanksgiving. In return, they would fulfill their promise to serve others each week for the month of December. We all took a separate vote. And I was proud. I was proud that my kids realized that Christmas is so commercialized and that all the me me me me stuff gets in the way of the true meaning..celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
So we are off and running & they are looking for ways to serve. And they are enjoying their gifts 4 weeks early. The focus is off the gifts and is now on others...
The elderly couple down the street will not have to shovel their driveway, the lady who had shoulder surgery will enjoy her homemade goodies, & maybe the neighbors around the corner can have some more family time.
I hope years from now my kids will look back at the the Christmas of 2010 as the year we learned the truth about Christmas & what it really means..