Thursday, December 18, 2008

Getting Ready for His Birthday

My children have never believed in Santa Claus. After all, Christmas is not about an overweight man in a red suit leaving presents. It is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. We told our kids the story of St. Nicholas, and one of my favorite decorations is a little resin figure of Santa Claus bowing before the baby Jesus. We all love watching "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" because they are a part of Christmas. After all, we enjoy Curious George but that does not mean we think he is real. Just fun.

I was trying to explain to Amelia, now 7, about Christmas, and told her it is Jesus' birthday. Since He is not here in person, we give each other presents. Amelia LOVES birthdays. When we lit our Advent candle this past week we had to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Actually, Christmas morning I make a coffee cake and we sing to Jesus before we open any gifts. Isn't that how it is done at a birthday party?

Another birthday tradition is the birthday card. Every party includes the birthday cards. Over the weekend Jamie and I finally got our Christmas cards done while the kids were playing. Then Amelia wrote a note, put it into an envelope, and wrote "Nana" on the front-- at least that is what she said she wrote--- and put it into the mailbox out front. Jamie helped her make it actually mailable (is that a word?), and it was sent. When Nana called Amelia to thank her for the note, I heard Amelia saying "Happy Birthday Jesus". She had sent a birthday card to Jesus, via Nana.

1 comment:

~ Lisa @ AbidingThere~ said...

So sweet! Merry Christmas to all of you Lindsays and Lindsays-to-be. :)