What if Santa doesn't come?

During the year we sponsor a child’s birthday. We buy a gift, decorations, and a small birthday cake. We bundle it all up and make a “Birthday Box” to give to the Childs parents…and that night the child gets a small birthday celebration. It breaks my heart to think that there are children that don’t know the wonder of blowing out candles on a birthday cake, and making a wish.

Of course when the Holidays came around it was only natural for me to also sponsor a child for Christmas. Each child has a small “about me” with their gift request. It allows you to understand their like and personalities. This year a little girl was asked what she wanted and this was her response. 

“I’d like a baby doll for Christmas. I really hope that Santa doesn’t run out this year”

When her teacher asked her if that is what she asked for last year her response was.

“Yeah but Santa didn’t come last year. Mommy said that he ran out of toys and that he had to make sure the sick children at the hospitals got toys first. But this year my mommy says that he should have enough to give to everyone.”

Well that story did it for me! I was tearing like a little baby. To know that a child might wake up on Christmas to nothing…that Santa never came…is just a heart breaking thought! But that little girl was able to accept that maybe their were children who needed a gift more than her and even more amazing is that she kept hope and joy in her heart, not giving up on the magic of Christmas. So this year for every gift I bought we donated a gift in return. This is something that my children have been taught to do from the very beginning, for every toy that comes into the house one gets donated to charity. 

As for the little girl that I sponsored this year…not only did Santa not run out of baby dolls but he is adding extra gifts for those children who didn’t get them last year.

Merry Christmas to everyone reading and don’t forget ~ the real magic is the smile and joy on a child’s face when they realize that someone out there was really listening to their wish.

Birthday around the Holidays!

     Each year we have a small family “party” in November where we celebrate my daughters birthday. We do this because I want to make sure that my daughter, who’s birthday is on December 13^th, never feels that her birthday is overshadowed by the holiday season. Then on her actual birthday we have a cake and open her present from mommy, Daddy, and Big brother. But I still worried that as she gets older she will feel like her birthday isn’t as important since Christmas is celebrated all months long. This prompted me to alter our Christmas traditions for now on.

     We decided that Our Christmas tree and stockings will not go up until after her birthday. It actually works better this way since we get a real tree and this will make it last longer without pine needles all over the floor (my vacuum will thank me this year!). Our Book advent calendar is being shortened to 12 days, and will go up on her birthday. The first book will always be a non-Christmas book, and part of her birthday gift. 

     We will still have our two other Christmas countdowns that will start on December 1^st like normal. The first one is your typical Santa Beard Count down, with cotton balls. The second one is our Christmas banner countdown, that spells out We Wish You A Merry Christmas by the time Christmas eve arrives! This way each day the children can each get to do one of the calendars, alternating between the two.

     For Anjali’s Birthday this year we will start her birthday off with yummy ice cream cone cupcakes and then open our first Book of our advent calendar. This year it will be “Happy Birthday Biscuit”, perfect for a child who thinks she is a puppy! I’m hoping by making these small changes she will never think her birthday is less important. I believe that everyone deserves to feel special on and around their birthday, especially children.

Growing older & Apple Pie

    

     I recently read an article written by a 90 year old women, giving her lessons that she has learned over the years. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Life isn’t tied with a bow but it is still a gift

2. No matter how you feel…get up, get dressed, and show up.

3. The best is yet to come

4. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back
.
5. Your children only get one childhood.

6. Growing old beats the alternative ~ dying young.

7. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

8. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

9. Don’t compare your life to others, you have no idea what their journey is all about.

10. Your job won’t take care of you when your sick, your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

11. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

12. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

     During the Holiday season its easy to forget the things that matter most. This is the time I like to stop and enjoy. I get my shopping done before Thanksgiving, schedule my bills to be paid through the New year, and complete my check lists. This way I can really just enjoy this time with the people that matter the most to me, my friends and family. I try to remember that I only have a certain number of years with my kids…as kids. These are times that you can not go back and repeat, so I want to make the most of it now.

I Wish all of you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and Most of all a Joyous and Memorable Holiday season. Here is one of my favorite holidays desserts...yummy!

Easy as Apple Pie

1 Pillsbury ready made pie crust (or homemade recipe of your choice)

1/2 cup unsalted butter 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup water 

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

¼ cup milk (for top crust)

Sugar ( for top crust)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes. 

2. Take peeled, cored, sliced apples and mix 1tsp of cinnamon into them. (optional) then mix the sugar mixture into apples.

3. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Make slits into top crust (any design you choose) and put onto the top of your pie. Brush milk onto the top crust and then sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

Start a Tradition

     When I came across this idea and I knew that I had to do it! This Christmas book Advent Calendar not only counts down to the exciting day but it also creates a family memory every night for 24 nights! Choose 24 Christmas/Holiday themed books, they can be ones you already own or ones you buy new, if you reuse them each year it pays for itself, and wrap each book in Holiday paper. Then use gift tags to number them from 1-24. You can use store bought gift tags or make your own. You can place it across a buffet table, a window seat or like myself you can place it on top of our fireplace mantle.

This is our calendar this year: 

1. Bear Noel By: Olivier Dunrea
2. Christmas Mice! By: Bethany Roberts
3. Things I See at Christmas By: Julie Stiegemeyer 
4. Down Through the Chimney By: Twin Sisters Productions Staff 
5. The Littlest Christmas Tree By: R.A Herman
6. Little Engine That Could Snowy, Blowy Christmas By: Watty Piper 
7. The Littlest Christmas Star By: Brandi Dougherty 
8. Donald’s Christmas Gift By: Sheila Sweeny Higginson 
9. D. W.’s Perfect Present By: Marc Brown 
10. The Christmas Cookie Case By: Scholastic, Inc. Staff 
11. Funny Hunny Christmas By: Random House Disney Staff 
12. The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving By: Jan Berenstain 
13. The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet By: Deborah Hautzig 
14. The Christmas Star By: Elizabeth Raum 
15. Willow At Christmas By: Camilla Ashforth 
16. Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas By: Gemstone Publishing, Inc
17. The Little Christmas Tree By: Mercer Mayer 
18. Clifford’s First Christmas By: Norman Bridwell 
19. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: A Holly Jolly Christmas!
20. Frosty the Snowman: A Musical Book By: Jack Rollins
21. Duck & Goose It’s Time for Christmas By: Tad Hills 
22. Merry Christmas, Stinky Face By: Lisa Mccourt 
23. Snowmen at Christmas By: Caralyn Buehner
24. The Night Before Christmas By: Clement C. Moore

     Each year you can also change the order of the books, leaving your child wondering when their favorite will be read…of course always leaving the best book for last! You can also take out the books your children outgrow and replace them as your children get older. The point is that during a time that stress can be overwhelming and time can get away from you, this will make you stop and enjoy a few minutes with your family every night until Christmas! A tradition your children will remember for the rest of their lives.