Here comes Santa 2011!

Yes, it looks like the kids have been good this year, because Santa made it to the Mower home. It was a wonderful day, the kids enjoyed opening their presents. We started Christmas eve morning off with making a visit to see Santa Claus. We saw Santa in the nick of time at a nearby Walmart (yes it wasn't as fancy as the mall, just a black sheet for the backdrop, but there was no line, and we didn't have to pay fifty bucks for a picture). All of the kids were excited to meet him, all but Benjamin. As you can see in his picture that he was scared to death (oh, the torture we inflict on our kids). Kate is getting quite curious about whether Santa Claus truly exists. She very carefully whispered in my ear so, that the other kids couldn't hear and said "Santa looks different this year, I don't think he is the real Santa". I'm glad that she still believes that Santa is real. I wonder how many more years she will believe. It seems like these precious childhood years are really beginning to fly now. I'm trying to make the magic last as long as possible. After we saw Santa my parents took the three older kids to see the Muppet Movie. It was perfect because Dan had to assemble a few toys, I had to do some cooking, and get one last minute gift. When the kids got back from the movie we read the Nativity out of the bible. We tried to make it spiritual and focus on the real meaning of Christmas. It is so easy to get caught up with all of the celebrating, that often we miss the whole point for the holiday. Then it was time for the Mower family Christmas eve party. We enjoyed delicious food, and the grandchildren performed the nativity. Kate was Mary and Kirk was a wise man, Benjamin had fallen asleep by then, so he missed it this year. Then the kids were able to open the traditional matching P.J's from Grandma Mower. I don't know how she still does it every year. She finds 27 matching pajama's in all of the grand kids sizes! The kids are always so excited to see what kind they get each year. It was a wonderful night. Christmas eve is always the easiest night of the year to get the kids to bed. Kate and Kirk both made a mad dash up the stairs and were in bed faster than you could say Rodolph. They didn't want to risk being up and having Santa pass by their house. I had to actually tell them to come back downstairs to set out the cookies for Santa. Then Kate very excitedly announced that she just saw Santa's sleigh, and Rudolph's nose on top of Grandma Mower's roof. "He must be waiting for them to go to bed" she said excitedly. Then I told them that he would be probably coming here next so they'd better get to bed fast!