He Sees You When You're Sleeping...

So, this year we're starting a new Christmas tradition at our house.

For the first time ever, Dennis and I get to be Santa. Or, I guess he'll be Santa and I'll be Mrs. Clause. Or do we both get to be Santa? Growing up I was pretty sure Mrs. Clause kept her butt at the North Pole and that she wasn't exactly involved in the magic of The Night Before Christmas. I don't think I want to be Mrs. Clause because I want to have fun, too, dammit! Screw sitting at the top of the globe knitting a sweater and making peanut brittle!

Anyway, it seems crazy that I have the ability and privilege to be Santa already! It seems like just yesterday that one of my grade school teachers ruined my day by bluntly stating, "You know it's just your Mom and Dad pretending to be Santa, right?" Stupid bizatch of a dream crusher - what was she thinking? Breaking the news about Santa to such gullable and trusting children. They shoulda fired her ass over that one. But, it was a church school, so they probably paid her to say it. Heh heh.

So, back to what I was saying. I know that Kaylee won't be able to realize that Christmas is anything different than every other day of her life. She'll just carry on and do her thing. She'll eat, fill diapers, open presents, bang her doll's heads against the floor and probably say some variaton of da-da, ta-ta, teh-teh, ga, ba, and ya all the live long day. So, maybe this year Christmas will be a little bit more special for Dennis and I than it will be for Kaylee because we realize how every Christmas will always be a little brighter from now on (I know, pass me a tissue - I'm getting all sentimental here).

We get to stay up late stuffing her stocking, wrapping presents (that are things she is currently using but needed before Christmas), and enjoying some cookies and milk by the twinkling of our Christmas tree before we drift off to la-la land and dream of sugar plum fairies and the like.

No other Christmas will be like this one because we'll never have another "first" Christmas with Kaylee. I can hardly wait to see her reaction to everything. Although I'm 99% sure that she won't give a rip about anything but the boxes and the paper. Oh well.

Before Christmas actually hits, I'm sure we'll talk about other traditions we want to add. One idea I've got is to read the Christmas story out of the Bible before bed.

I'm sure that we'll change and add new traditions as Kaylee gets older, but I want her to have memories of favorite Christmas traditions just like I do. Two traditions that I grew up with are going to church on Christmas Eve and opening one gift that night as well. Although many of my childhood memories of church aren't the greatest, I always loved the Christmas Eve service (even if I hated memorizing my lines for the program). I loved hearing the Christmas story, singing the Christmas hymns, the paper bag full of candy and an apple that all the kids got when we got to the door after the service ended, and most recently, I love the candlelight service at the church we go to now.

After we've sung the Christmas songs and heard the Christmas story, the service ends as we each light a small candle, the lights are dimmed, and "Silent Night" is sung a capella. That's one of my favorite moments of the whole Christmas season.

And every year I'm afraid that someone is going to accidentally light something on fire and ruin my moment of tranquility and peace. Good thing there's a fire sprinkler system. Just in case.

This post is part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop Thursday. Do yourself a favor and head on over there to check out the rest of the Writer's Workshop Thursday posts.