Merry Christmas

Santa and all his helpers were extraordinarily generous to all of us this year.  Claire and Louise opened a few presents and started playing.  It took several sessions for them to open all their gifts.  (Charlotte didn't have that problem, and happily opened the gifts to the whole family).  Louise loved her jump rope, craft projects, and books.  Claire put on her tool belt and superhero costume, picked up a drill, and reconstructed our house.  Charlotte looked beautiful in her feather boa and cool shades.  Mommy and Daddy got exactly what they wanted, and they enjoyed chatting with neighbors over brunch whilst the children cooked in the play kitchen, drove the train, and generally displayed a remarkable amount of Christmas spirit.

The night before Christmas

'Twas the day before Christmas, and the girls donned their gay apparel for Jesus's birthday party: 

Ms. Judy then came for dinner, where she played with the excited elves and helped Louise put out food for the reindeer.  Louise talked about her excitement about Santa's visit; Charlotte said she wanted Baby Jesus to come, and Claire wanted the Wise Men to bring her presents.  We put out milk and cookies for whoever came first.


Eventually, the children nestled all snug in their beds.  Louise woke in the middle of the night and curled up by the tree, where she tells us she spoke to Santa as he put out the presents.

Santa Train

Baby Jesus!!!  Santa!!!  PRESENTS!!!  The girls are just a wee bit excited about Christmas.  Today was a big day.  C&C had "polar express day" at daycare (they watched the film and wore pjs all day).  Next, we went to the Museum of Life & Science, where we made "reindeer food," received fake snow, had faces painted, and boarded the Santa train.  Finally, we had a birthday party next door at the Gentry home.

The mystery of the "journey to the north pole" is becoming hard for Louise to take seriously.  "Look!  People dressed up as elves!  And there's a cardboard polar bear and someone dressed up as Santa!  And someone from my school is pretending to be Mrs. Claus!  Now someone's got a red light on a string and they're pretending that Rudolph is flying!"  Eventually, with a few gentle hints, she was also able to understand that younger kids might  not appreciate her precocious objectivity and rationalism.

Nevertheless, all three girls still believe in Santa.  Louise even wrote a letter to him: "Dear Santa, Charlotte & I have been bad, but Claire has been good, and she'd like a drill set."