The First Weekend of Christmas

Don't worry... it's marker.

Although I complete most of my shopping before Thanksgiving I do not do anything "Christmasy" until the advent of Advent. The first weekend of December certainly got the ball rolling! Friday Caitlyn and I went to a hilarious production of Junie B in Jingle Bells Batman Smells. On the way back we witnessed the wedding of some friends and brought their daughter home for a sleepover. I knew we had a crazy Saturday planned since I needed to make six lasagnas for the Youth Christmas party, but Santa and Mrs. Claus were in Harrisburg that night. (We go every year  to the tree lighting with our neighbors to both avoid the mall and maintain Santa continuity through the years.) Just before we needed to leave, Elijah came up the stairs looking like this --->

I knew those marks were a bit too uniform to be self-inflicted and marched right downstairs to confront the girls. Caitlyn confessed immediately with the self defense or "But it was fun, and he liked it!" Now, I am not personally a fan of making a big deal out of the naughty or nice list, Elves on the Shelf, and things of that ilk. I have tried to emphasize that we do good for the sake of doing good and to glorify God. But I was so annoyed that my child would look like he'd been in a knife fight at his Santa pictures that I said, "You'll have to tell Santa what you did! He already knows anyway." Caitlyn replied with trepidation, "Is he going to put me on... the naughty list?" With a shake of my head I replied through pursed lips, "I don't know, Caitlyn... I just don't know."

In the end after scrubbing Elijah's face, the long wait in line, petting several dogs, and listening to Christmas carols I decided to not traumatize my child with a forced Santa interrogation. I let her hug on Santa and Mrs. Claus, eat kettle corn, and ride the horse drawn carriage. Afterwards we enjoyed a local church's "Walk Through Bethlehem" which culminated in a nativity scene.

I should have made her confess to the Baby Jesus.



Click here for more December pics.