The Calm Before the Storm

Today for the next hour or so, I am going to just sit here and enjoy the calm.

At 3:00 today, we are meeting Lissa and Nathan, Courtney, Paul, and the girls at John's dad's care center and thus begins our Christmas celebration.

I cannot even imagine what large families feel like as their home fills up with family.

I only have two daughters, two sons in law and two little granddaughters, but my house gets very small when they are all here.  In all fairness, the house is small to begin with but with the addition of added people it gets even smaller.  The walls actually close in on us in the living room.

We lived in the same town as my parents and grandparents, so we did not have to spend overnight holidays at their houses.  John's folks owned a motel in Janesville, so we always had our own room to sleep in when we visited there.

I have tried to think about how to make this house seems bigger, but nothing is working so we will be on top of one another for a few days, but hopefully the magic that is Christmas will overshadow the crowded conditions.

I am sure it will.

On a totally different topic, but related, I suppose since it involves Christmas.

The above picture is the only on of have of either of my girls with Santa.

This was taken in 1979 shortly before Alissa was born.

Courtney was 1 year and 9 months old.

I don't remember exactly where we were, but I am guessing a mall and I remember having to purchase this picture.

Courtney seemed pretty relaxed with the big fella.

 

Santa never had a big part in our Christmas.  He paid us a visit on the night that we put up our tree.  The girls would hang their stockings and leave him some cookies, milk, and a carrot for the reindeer.

He always filled the stockings quite generously, but that is the last we saw of him for the Christmas season.

John and I always wanted to take credit for the big expensive presents.  We didn't want to give that credit to a big old fat man.

 

I guess that explains only one picture with him, not sure.

I also have a problem with putting your children on some stranger's lap after telling them time and time again, "never talk to strangers."  And then expecting them to talk to said stranger and smile for a picture.

Doesn't make sense to me.

 

However, I have no problem with anyone else celebrating Santa and I talk about him in my class of Preschoolers.

Every year without fail, one student will blurt out, "There is no Santa."

I, then, work really hard to reassure the sad faces looking at me, that, "Yes, there is a Santa to everyone who believe in Santa."  I tell them that some families have Santa come and some do not, so no big deal.

 

This year it was Tizita who looked right at me and announced, "Santa isn't real, you know."

I wonder who she thinks this man is in the picture.

 

Merry Christmas to all!

I am off to start my celebration now.