I don’t like leaving anyone out! I wish everyone a happy holiday!

The Devlin family celebrated yesterday. Two of the grands’ visitation schedules with their other families collided with Christmas, so my dd asked Santa for a favor. He dropped gifts early morning Christmas Eve.

There’s nothing more fun than sending kids early to bed, then listening to them whisper.

“Shhh. We have to go to sleep or Santa won’t come.”

An acorn fell on the metal roof and rattled to the ground.

“Shhhh! Santa’s on the roof!”

My quick-thinking dd did a muffled “Ho-Ho-Ho!” And there was dead-silence. Ten minutes later, we checked. Everyone was snoring.

My daughter loves Christmas. Loves the Elf-on-the-shelf, the German traditions we brought home—St. Nicklaus morning when he leaves coal or a gift in a shoe to forewarn them how Christmas will be and the countdown advent calendar with  its candies or small gifts they get every morning leading up to Christmas. Next year, we’re adding the Christmas spider to the tree.

She asked me, “What will we do when they stop believing?”

“You’ll tell them exactly what I told you—‘Santa stops coming when you stop believing.’ How old were you when you said you didn’t believe?”

“Mom, I never told you I don’t.”

“Exactly.”

I hope you all have your lovely Christmas traditions. Things you have to do or disappoint your family. Christmas isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s work. It’s time to reflect. It’s a celebration—whatever your beliefs—and children, if you have them, make it precious.

Do you have special rituals? Things your family does that if you skipped, someone would notice and complain? We’re doing our Christmas dinner early afternoon today. That date we couldn’t move. 🙂