Getting Ready for Santa

Children definitely make Christmas incredibly special. They bring a whole new meaning to the season. I've always heard others comment about how magical it is to see Christmas through the eyes of a child, and getting to really experience that this year was one of the highlights of the holidays. This is the first year that Jaden really got into the concept of Christmas, gift giving, Santa, and the whole thing! It was so much fun to experience his excitement and joy, as well as his insistence on sharing that excitement with his baby brother.

Unlike past years, we could not put any presents under the tree before Santa came for fear that it would confuse and ruin the excitement when Santa did come. (And even though we made sure that not everything came from Santa because we wanted Jaden to be appreciative to us and others for the gifts he received, it didn't matter in the end -- Santa got all the credit, even thought we did get "Thank you's".

And the night before Christmas was so much fun...the milk and cookies, looking up at the sky to see if we saw Santa yet, encouraging Jaden to go to bed so that Santa would come...it was all so fun! And I will never forget Jaden's excitement as he sat on the couch in his jammies, just waiting, and excitedly announced, "I cannot wait to see Santa's reindeer and Santa's belt." He really thought he was going to get to meet the guy that night, and maybe, just maybe, get to pet his reindeer. Oh to be so young and innocent...