Silly Monkey Stories: Santa Shakes Things Up!

About a week and a half ago, we attended the annual Christmas celebration hosted by the Taekwondo studio where all 3 of our children study.  During this celebration, everyone enjoys a huge pot luck feast, as well as a belt ceremony for any students who are being promoted around that time, and an awards ceremony.  Both our boys were being promoted.  We also had a wonderful surprise when our daughter was called up to receive a "Best Lil Dragon" trophy.  Both those things were thrilling for our children, but what they were waiting for came at the end of the evening.

After all the ceremonies have taken place, the children catch a hint of bells jingling from the distance.  Then shortly after, Santa Claus appears with not one, but two huge sacks of toys.  All the children then sit around Santa on the floor and patiently wait for their name to be called.  It always seems like it is torture for the last 25% of the children, since they have been waiting for quite awhile.

To loosen the children up this year, Santa gave them each a bouncy ride on his knee.  It seemed to work like magic.  Even the children who were shy seemed to smile.

Even the older kids, who were on the edge of being too cool to sit on Santa's lap, smiled when they got their little jostle.  What a great way it was to end the evening.

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My Photos: Christmas Day 2012

Since it's almost New Year's Eve, I figured I should not wait much longer to share my photos from Christmas Day.  Like always, I took far too many photos.  I took many on Christmas morning and lots at my sister's and brother-in-law's house, but I did a poor job of taking photos during Christmas dinner at my cousin's house.

We did break two of our Christmas traditions this year.  Instead of leaving Santa freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, we used our ninja cookie cutters to make him ninja sugar cookies.  Also, we avoided our youngest son getting sick on the way home from Christmas dinner by giving him a Hyland's Motion Sickness tablet before we left my cousin's house.


Here are just a small handful of photos highlighting our family's Christmas Day . . . 

"Ninja Sugar Cookies"

"A Visit from Santa"

"Our Traditional Christmas Breakfast"

"A Hand-drawn Gift"

"Group Hug"

"The Joy of Giving"

"Waiting for the Signal"

"Diving Right In"

"Favorite Uncle"

"Her Duck Collection is Growing"

"Cookie Decorating Kit from Whole Foods"

"A Work of Art"

"What's For Dessert?"

Click here to view all my past favorite photos.

Silly Monkey Stories: Patiently Waiting for Santa

Our children attended their first holiday celebration thrown by the taekwondo studio they joined this past summer.  The 3-hour event was tons of fun with good food, a belt ceremony, and awards.  The evening was topped off with a "surprise" visit from Santa, whose helpers toted two huge sacks filled with gifts.  The helpers handed Santa each gift, who then called each child up to sit on his lap for a photo.

Now the gifts were really brought by the parents.  Our family was one of the firsts to arrive, so our gifts were way at the bottom of the Santa's ginormous sack.  Somehow, Luke's gift ended up somewhere in the middle.    It's a good thing because I think he was going to burst if he had to wait much longer.

Makenzie's and Jake's gifts, however, were way down at the bottom.  They were among the last children to be called.  I have to commend them for their patience.  They both sat very still, listening eagerly for their names and never taking their eyes off of Santa.  My husband and I could tell that they started to wonder if there were gifts for them in that sack or not.  It was torture for them, but they waited seated on the floor without a peep until their names were finally called.  What a happy moment that was!

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Santa's Job Gets Harder Every Year

This year more than ever, I have been reminiscing about how simple Christmas shopping for our children use to be. When they were toddlers, they were so easily impressed. We could have chosen any one of the many ride-on toys available for $35ish at the toy store to put under the tree and Santa would have been a hero. Now that the children are nearly 4, 4, and 7, it has grown increasingly difficult to find toys that have that wow-effect a parent wants from a Santa gift without breaking the bank.

Once the children hit preschool age, the whole logistics of writing a letter to Santa became another factor. It is an important element in maintaining our children's belief in the magic of Santa. The problem is that a parent cannot really tell a child not to ask for something they really want. When my oldest asked for a Nintendo DSi this year, I could not say to him, " Don't ask Santa for that. How about this less costly Harry Potter Lego Set instead?" So, does Santa disappoint a child because their request costs too much money? That could shatter the child's whole belief in Santa with just one shot. So, guess who will be receiving a Nintendo DSi from Santa this year.

Christmas 2009: Christmas Morning

Christmas morning at our house began with three very excited children. Santa had visited the night before, left the requested gifts under the tree, stopped to enjoy the milk and cookies, and left the magic key he had used to enter our house on the plate where we were sure to find it.

After everyone was changed with faces washed and teeth brushed, my husband led the children downstairs. They could not believe their eyes. The space under and next to the tree had been empty the night before, but were now filled with wrapped gifts and the toys they had written to Santa Claus for.

Santa brought Jake the MEGA Bloks Streetz City Pursuit building set. Makenzie received the Caring Corners Mrs. Goldberger Dollhouse, and Luke got the Mickey Mouse's Magic Choo Choo Train Set.

It took us awhile to get through everything. Luckily, we were able to take a break for freshly baked cinnamon rolls. The children ate theirs quickly because they were eager to get back to the gifts.

Jake had a special gift for the whole family. He made us a 2010 calendar in school. I can't wait for the New Year to start so that we can hang it up proudly in our kitchen.

Even Mom and Dad received a couple of gifts. The kids even stopped their playing to watch us open our presents. They were very excited to be able to give us gifts.

Two of our four cats were hiding from all the excitement Christmas morning, but the other two were able to open their stockings. They each received catnip toys and were very appreciative.

Christmas Eve at the In-Law's

3 Very Stuffed Stockings

Lunch and Gifts at My Sister's & BIL's House

Christmas Dinner at My Cousin's House