Christmas #1

As is our tradition, we had several Christmases this year. Because we were going to be in Northern California on Christmas Day, and we still really wanted to have our intimate nuclear family Christmas at home, Santa made a special trip for us. Our Christmas Morning was Saturday, December 18. I know. We're THAT special. On Friday night we made hot chocolate (from scratch--my specialty!) and watched Frosty the Snowman. We told Ben that Santa was going to come and that he would bring presents that we would find under the tree in the morning. I actually was really conflicted about this. I mean, I don't want to be all Miracle on 34th Street Scroogey or anything, but I kind of feel like telling kids about Santa Claus and then having to tell them a few years later that it was all a lie is kind of mean. Also, I feel like it takes away from the Jesus part of Christmas. Which is, you know, the whole deal. I mean, I like the pagan Christmas traditions, too--I love giving gifts, I love the movies, I love the decorations. I don't know, maybe I'm just a Scrooge. And if you asked me before I had kids if I would tell them about Santa, I wouldn't have even understood the question. But at the end of the day I decided that I didn't want to be that mom whose kid goes to kindergarten and tells everyone that Santa's not real. So Santa came. He didn't bring much though. Honestly, even if we could afford an extravagant Christmas I wouldn't do it. I love my sweet boy, but he doesn't need to own everything the mall has to offer. And I continued the tradition of my parents, wherein a few of the gifts were from Santa and the rest were from mom and dad.

It was a very sweet and lovely morning. :)

After we opened presents and played for a bit, I made our Christmas dinner: mushroom apple pork chops, apple-glazed winter squash, mashed potatoes, green beans, from-scratch pumpkin and cherry pies, and loads of other yummy goodness. In the afternoon my family came. We ate, we played, we opened presents...it was a lovely afternoon and evening.