Go ahead and hate me but...

We don't "do" Santa. There I said it. I feel so much better now. I know, your probably expecting a consumerism/ the same letters spell Satan rant from me, but I don't think it's that at all. Just follow me on this for a second.

First off, husband is the church organist and we had/have very busy family schedule during this time so we never really have time to do the whole Christmas morning to ourselves thing. The rest, the conscience decision to not do Santa, developed over time and just followed my kids lead and our own thoughts.

2007-Baby number one is too small to get it anyway. We were unsure how we felt about the whole thing due to the previously mentioned reasons and the fact that we both felt disappointed when we found out he wasn't real. (If your old enough to read, but just figured this out I am sorry.) My husband was more keen on the no Santa thing than me , but I took baby's pic with Santa and said we could always use it to say that that Santa was telling him about the real Santa Claus (Yes, their is an actual person behind the story.)

2008-Kinda the same deal. Took baby number one (baby number two was in my big pregnant belly) to see Santa at the Santa breakfast but the kid still had no clue who he was.

2009-Take baby number two for that first visit to St. Nick. Am thinking this whole no Santa thing might not be a bad idea after hearing my friend talk about her three year old freaking out thinking about a man who could see everything she does and coming down her chimney. Remember the little kids who freaked out over the Easter bunny (no I guess we don't do that either, you'll soon see why...) because bunnies weren't supposed to be that big. When you stop to think of it from a very little child's perspective all of these things are a little bit frightening.

2010-Baby number three gets her pic (Along with the rest of us in a family shot) with the Santa who came to our mom's group party. He is a real deal Santa. (And I am not just talking about the beard-if I believed I would think he was the real one.) It is the fact that he talks all about the real reason for Christmas. Jesus. (They wouldn't give him a job at the mall so he refused. What's the use in being Santa if you can't talk about Jesus? Instead he does it wherever he can, places like the juvinille detention facility where the message is desperately needed.) At this point, I think the oldest, at three and half, got the idea that Santa was a guy who brought presents but he wasn't a big deal.

2011-Ah yes, the present. We watched The Boy Who Became Santa, the story of St. Nicholas. The oldest does in fact know Santa brings presents, but doesn't know they are supposed to be requested. He also knows that grandma and grandpa (come on, they are the real Santa Claus in this family!) give them too.

The dentist (don't ask about my visit...let's just say I have to go back) asked him if he had a list for Santa. He doesn't. I am not going to promote the whole "Christmas is about getting what you want-gimmie!- mentality." It is fine if he asks for something and I can recommend it to the grandparents, but I am not going to go asking for it. (Side bar-I think not having tv plays a big role in the fact that they don't have the gimmies-just sayin'.) We are going to do more things as they get older too where we give to others.

So that is currently where we stand with Santa. Do I think they are missing out? Maybe. It is a lot different than the way I grew up. But I don't think that necessarily means it's bad. And it means I won't have to lie (in church!) when the priest accidentally lets it slip that Santa isn't real. (Yes, this actually happened to someone. Forgive the priest-he is in his 90's and doesn't care what anyone else thinks any more. He was trying to get across (the very valid) point that a big deal is made of Santa ("He's not even real!"-gee I wonder what gave it away.) as well as other things when that is not what the season is all about.

P.S.-Besides I don't think we can pull anything over on that four and a half year old. He's pretty smart. He even told me that it was a man in a bunny costume he's with in that picture on the fridge. (If only the little girl at the day care would have known it was her own mother(!) in the bunny costume.) So please forgive him too, if he ends up being the one who spoils the fun for your kids...

(Something else funny, as I was proofing this, the same little boy asked me when Santa was coming. I was pondering how ironic that was but it turns out he just meant to the Santa St. Nicholas party at church and not to our house. We have since seen that Santa and he was more impressed with the fact that Santa drove a bus and that he got to eat cupcakes.)