Thursday, December 11, 2008

Maybe some loaded eggnog would do the trick?

I am still struggling to get in the spirit of the season. My home is decorated, the containers at school are finished and we watched Elf last night. If that doesn't kick start my yule-tide emotions, I'm not sure what will. Maybe It's a Wonderful Life while making gingerbread men with my children. I'm pretty sure some of it has to do with this monstrous economic meltdown that's being shoved down our throats with every newspaper and network cranking it out like it's Armageddon. Maybe we should boycott the news till the New Year. Let's just act like everything is hunky-freakin-dory and enjoy the hell out of our Christmas, blissfully ignorant to Rome burning around us. Sounds highly dysfunctional but I'm on board.

Here's my other issue this year, my twins are ten years old and they know the jig is up with Santa. Heartbreaking and eye opening at the same time. I'm trying to reason with them with the historical account of the actual St. Nicholas, a real person who has been immortalized as a Saint. He did exist and still does in our hearts. They're having a hard time wrapping their heads around this one. More lies and far flung stories out of Mom's mouth. "Who eats the cookies on Christmas Eve?!" my daughter demanded to know. "He does", I tell her. "You mean Dad, right?" she smirks. How can I tell her no when she knows she's right? Parenthood is a bitch sometimes.

Help me out here...let me know your Christmas Cheer solutions and I'm sure some of you out there have wonderful Santa-coming-of-age stories to share. Let me know. In the mean time, I'm going to buck up and try my damnedest to be jolly, even if I have to fake it for my kids.

10 comments:

  1. I believed in Santa Claus until I was 12. Twelve. And even then – it wasn’t because I guessed it on my own. Apparently, my mom was kinda tired of the charade, so this is how she broke it to me. We went shopping one day for a new dress for me at Wieboldt’s (which just aged me - yes, I'm a child of the 70's). It was the only thing we bought that day. I helped her pick it out and watched her pay for it. Then, on Christmas morning, that was the only present that said ‘from Santa’. And she just watched and waited and crossed her fingers and hoped I’d put two and two together. I was just as blonde back then but it did eventually dawn on me….’hey, wait a minute…’ I'm still holding out for the Easter bunny though.

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  2. I believed in Santa until I was in fourth grade (I guess I was 10). I used to love watching the classics, Rudolph, Frosty and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I too was a 70's child, so we had to wait until they came on basic tv channels (2,5,7,9,11 and 32). This particular year I was talking to my friend Tony on the phone (he was a year older) the night Santa was on and I remember telling him it would be on soon and how I loved the story of Santa's life when he cut me off and said "you know those aren't real, don't you?" I said yes they are and we argued back and forth and then I went to ask my mom. She hesitantly told me he was right, and I think that was the last magical Christmas for me. At that point I knew we were pretty poor and was always afraid to ask for too much or anything too expensive. My good old Catholic guilt has been around forever!!

    I too told my older children this year and they handled it pretty well. For the most part they already had it figured out. We basically discussed that Christmas spirit is in our hearts and our belief in Jesus and that is the magical feeling we try to hold on to and pass along.

    I wonder if they'll still leave Santa any cookies this year...

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  3. Forget to mention that my Christmas cheer is pretty much zilch this year too. About 2 weeks ago I too popped in Elf (one of my new favorites for Christmas) and it failed to cheer me up. I haven't put on It's A Wonderful Life (MY ALLTIME FAVORITE!!!!!) yet, maybe it will help. I bawl like a baby at the ending EVERY time I watch it. Favorite line "I was saving this money for a divorce if ever I got me a husband"! Positively classic. An old school friend told me a few years ago he had never seen it. Blasphemer!!!

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  4. I TOO, AM A PROUD CHILD OF THE SEVENTIES AND LOOOOVED THE CHRISTMAS STOP-MOTION ANIMATION SHOWS. MY KIDS ADORE THE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS EPISODE...CHECK ABC FAMILY FOR ALL OF THESE.

    KATE, IF ELF DOESN'T DO IT FOR YOU (I START TO TEAR UP WHEN THE SLEIGH KICKS INTO HOLIDAY-SPIRIT-DRIVE AND SANTA SKIMS THE TOP OF JAMES CAAN'S HEAD WITH THE SLEIGH) IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE CERTAINLY WILL. MY FAVORITE PART IS WHEN GEORGE DOESN'T DELIVER THE PRESCRIPTION HE KNOWS IS FILLED WITH POISON AND MR. GOWER BEATS HIM BLOODY THEN EMBRACES HIM AFTER GEORGE CONVINCES HIM OF HIS MISTAKE. I'M TEARING UP NOW AS I TYPE. IT KILLS ME.

    I'M GOING TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET IN THE SPIRIT. I TOO AM RIDDLED WITH CATHOLIC GUILT AND SWEAR EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE THAT I'M GOING TO SNEAK OFF TO MIDNIGHT MASS BY MYSELF BUT SOMEHOW AFTER THE KIDS ARE IN BED AND THE FESTIVITIES HAVE DIED DOWN, I'M SPENT. MAYBE THIS YEAR I'LL FORCE MYSELF TO GO.

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  5. I cry at the same part in Elf too, and then I feel really silly because the whole movie is absolutely hilarious but somehow they have worked in this tear jerker moment. I also adore White Christmas, Holiday Inn, The Bells of St. Marys, the first Santa Claus movie and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Maybe I should have a movie marathon weekend. Did you know that Sesame Street's Burt & Ernie got their names from the cab driver and cop from Wonderful Life? Useless trivia that I know!

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  6. A movie marathon of Christmas Cheer sounds great! Load up on the hot chocolate, junk food and where are the blankies?! I still need to make Christmas cookies with my children and haven't even thought of any shopping yet. Where are you ghost of Christmas Present?!

    (Wonderful Life)...my mom would force my sister and I to watch it weekly during the month of December and I couldn't appreciate it until I was in high-school. My friends and I would sit around and watch it over and over after my mom forced them to watch it too. The final tear jerking moment for me...when Harry Bailey makes the toast..."to my brother George, the richest man in town", now I'm in full blown sobbing mode.

    One more thing...yesterday's devastating news of the high school boys made me really stop and realize just how blessed we ALL are. I had spent the afternoon wallowing in my own pity party about money, bills, the holidays, etc., it was like a bucket of ice water thrown in my face when I heard the news. My problems are nothing compared to the agony of the families of those boys. I will keep them in my prayers and kiss my own children even more.

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  7. I think I just a good long cry/sob session to get it all out and then maybe I can move on from there. Wonder if I can fit that into my schedule..

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  8. Just make sure you block out enough time for the actual sobbing and then recovery and cleanup, 45 minutes should do it. Things could always be worse. Focus on the positive and remember there are ALWAYS people out there who would literally kill to be in your position. Keeping it all in perspective is hard to do.

    So on that note, I'm going to Blockbuster for holiday movies then through the McDonalds drive through for a cinnamonmelt. That always makes me feel better.

    Chin up!

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  9. Great blog Lisa. It has been so good to reconnect with people again. I remember when my 19 year old began the non believing stage of Santa. The thing I did was would never tell her there wasn't one. To this day...my motto is " If you want presents on Christmas...SANTA brings them and you better tell me you beleive!" LOL

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  10. Way to be a good mom Denise! I told my kids that Santa was a real person and always lives in our hearts, not only at Christmas but especially then. They get the jist of it and I think there is a little magic left there. They just called me on it and I couldn't not tell them the truth.

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