20 December 2010

Make Glad the Heart of Childhood

We drove into the city yesterday, to take two seven year olds to see Stomp. Somehow, even though it's been playing in the same place for sixteen years (!), we grown-ups had never seen it either. It was a whole lot of fun - good-natured, energetic, boisterous, witty and playful - and it was kind of perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Besides, someone tap dances on bubble wrap - don't you always do that? I was tap dancing on bubble wrap as I worked my way through the presents I was wrapping the other day; it was all over the cellar floor.

On the way into town, I had the iPod with all-Christmas-all-the-time going, because you know, it's almost Christmas. At one point, Mir asked me to put on Santa Baby. Her friend said "what's that?", to which Mir replied "it's a song by Catwoman". Child has her cultural references down pat. Later on, she confided to her friend "the woman in the song thinks Santa is her rich boyfriend". I love eavesdropping on those backseat conversations, though this one devolved into "Santa Claus doesn't exist" - "yes, he does" - "no, he doesn't". Eventually I told them that they'd have to agree to disagree. I don't know if they got that, but they did move on from the Santa discussion.

I've wrapped all of the presents, except those from Santa (one of which I still have to buy). We laid in special paper for the Santa presents - but I've been wobbling about whether Daddy/Husband's presents should be in Santa paper or not. I mean, we'll go to bed on Christmas Eve with a few stray presents under the tree, so everything that'll be there the next morning will be from Santa, right? I think I just answered my own question.

Yes, dears, there is a Santa Claus.

13 comments:

Bibliomama said...

Damn straight. But I waffle on the Santa paper too. My sister told her kids Santa just gives one present, which explains why we have to give presents to Toy Mountain etc. I wish I had thought of that.

1A said...

Happy, happy and merry, merry! <3

anymommy said...

Santa doesn't wrap presents in our house AND he only gives one present. He fills stockings though. I think he also fills the liquor cupboard.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

The Christmas present issues never end. It's what I've been thinking about, too.

The Absence of Alternatives said...

Love STOMP! It really is a crowd pleaser. LOL at CATWOMAN. She's got a point! :-)

We use a special Santa paper too. Do you try to have someone else write on the tags so you won't be"busted"? :-)

Have a wonderful holiday!

Life As I Know It said...

Oh, I loved Stomp. And now I'm thinking the kids would, too.

Ah, the Santa question...at our house, Santa leaves one or two things unwrapped and a few wrapped. They all have tags printed in an old style calligraphy with the child's name.
Everything else is from Mom and Dad. We want to get credit for some good gifts, too ;)

Anonymous said...

I couldn't remember which one was last year's Santa paper. I just wrapped everything willy-nilly and didn't put anything in the "from" section of the tags.

I already screwed up because I made a big deal of saying that I asked Santa for a sewing machine, when I had bought a second hand one from a friend, and then Fiona decided she wanted to sew a scarf for Grandma. Well, we couldn't very well go over to Grandma's to borrow her machine for that, so I produced mine and now I won't be getting anything from Santa.

(Unless maybe it comes in a bottle, is bubbly, and goes in a glass, not a bathtub.)

Kyla said...

Last night we went to the Christmas House (a local house that goes insane decorating and allows tours and Santa meetings) and then to look at lights and BubTar and his best friend were having similar debates in the backseat. I feel like this might be our last magical Christmas with him...but I hope we get at least one more. It goes too fast!

Santa leaves our gifts unwrapped and assembled, because he doesn't shop at the stores so there wouldn't be packaging and he's got elves to do the assembling!

Frogs in my formula said...

I'm so happy Junior is young enough to be oblivious to the wrapping paper issue. It's how I figured out there was no Santa.

mayberry said...

It's a lot of work being Santa. I've been buying stocking stutters for the DOG all week.

Anonymous said...

wishing you peace and happiness

painted maypole said...

saw stomp in Chicago about 15 years ago. Loved it.

and love backseat conversations. although you know my take on Santa. i broke down and got MQ an American Girl doll for Xmas (at a huge discount thanks to a cousin with a friend who works for AG... yay FB for making that connection!) and all the American Girl related presents have their own wrapping paper. I figure if she starts with the non doll presents I can point out the theme... ;)

leanne said...

Santa leaves the kids one book and one toy under the tree (plus stocking stuffers -- usually an ornament, a small toy and some other random thing that I buy).

I've also used the same "Santa" wrapping paper for a few years now -- my son was quick to notice that Santa and mom and dad have different wrapping papers. I used up the last of the Santa paper this year. I'm curious to see how my son will react next year to the new wrapping paper.