Dear Santa,

Who's as excited as I am for Christmas? 

I love Christmas. Actually, I love all the holidays leading up to Christmas and I feel bad that right now I am skipping right over Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is also a favorite holiday. OK let me be honest, I just love holidays, all of them. But I really love Christmas. Back to Christmas. 

So it felt a smidge cooler today. It was 80 degress outside, so I wore a scarf. It's COLD in ARIZONA! 

My daughter loves holidays as much as I do and she is a true believer. She believes in the Tooth Fairy, Santa, The Easter Bunny, and Rocky our Elf on the Shelf. This year she has already been talking about the hoverboard she wants for Christmas. I told her I was not buying her a hoverboard and she replied, "I'll just ask Santa." Which then started a several day worry session in my head about how to break it to her that I am Santa and am not buying her a hoverboard. I mean after all she is in fifth grade, but who am I to squash her believer heart? Right? How do I do this gently? Lovingly? Sensitively and not crush her innocence? Especially because I am a true believer in letting children be children for as long as you can. Childhood is magical and children are so special, just let them be little is my philosophy. 

So, last Sunday we went on a drive. It may or may not have been to McDonald's. On our drive my heart was sad, this wasn't news I wanted to break to her. I didn't want her to not believe in magic, or hope for things, that your hearts wish could really come true. But, I also could not afford a hoverboard or the subsequent broken arm as I pictured in my head. So I said to her, " Ellie, I have to talk to you about something." She said, "What Mom?" Looking at me with her cute little hazel eyes and smattering of freckles across her nose. I said, "Santa is not real, I am Santa." And she said....I know Mom. Smiling. 

That is when I realized that she was just going along with the whole thing for me. My special girl. 

She had asked me in September if we could get a jump start on decorating for Halloween because I never decorate for Halloween. My heart kind of sank because it is sad but true. As much as I love holidays the best I can muster in the decoration department is a few pumpkins on the table and one by the door outside, uncarved of course. I used to go all out, it was like the holidays threw up on my house. These days I am just trying to get dinner made. So, this weekend I decided to get a little head start on Christmas decorating and I am kind of excited about it. My kids come home tomorrow and I think they will be happy. I will get those huge poinsettia's from Costco to go on either side of the door soon. It's better than nothing right?? 

So back to Santa. Now what? Both my kids know Santa is not real, but how do we create a feeling of magic? My friend Laura suggested that they each be Santa for each other. So that is what we are going to do this year. I told the kids I would pitch in $25 each and they need to pitch in $25 each and they are in charge of getting the Santa gifts for each other. I will do the stockings, and I have a few other little surprises too but I think this will be fun. Plus, they will be thinking about each other and not themselves 100% which is what we want for our kids, to think of others. Why not start right with the people in your home? I am excited for Christmas this year. I have some fun family gifts that I want to get for us. So we will see. I hope it is a good one. 

As for me....I believe in magic, in wishes of the heart, and hope. 

XOXO-It's beginning to look a lot like Christmasssssss......The Sunny D