Is there anyone who does not use Santa?

[Nelle]

We're not really into Santa here either - but for me it's because of a God thing, I don't know how I feel about telling my kids God is real (which I believe) and that Santa is real (which I don't believe). But I'm totally happy to say 'what do you think' when they ask, pretty sure that's how my parents rolled. I remember saying 'I don't believe in Santa' when I was young, and my mum implying that if word got out, then Santa wouldn't bring me presents. I changed my 'official' tune to toe the line, I think this was mum's insurance against me ruining it for other kids.

[Just Me]

Moi - if you are interested, this is our advent calendar for this year:

1st - Gift - Story of Christmas Sticker Book (A page a day to complete together and read the story during December)
2nd - Making Christmas tree decoration
3rd - Lollipops Outing
4th - Take kids present shopping for each other
5th - Christmas Treasure Hunt
6th - Cooking Rumballs
7th - Playtime Christmas Party
8th - Making presents
9th - Shopping for a Christmas decoration for the tree
10th - Christmas movie & pizza night
11th - Picnic on Magnetic Island
12th - Carols by Candlelight
13th - Cooking Christmas star tree
14th - Making cards
15th - Fury Game
16th - Making Christmas wrapping paper
17th - McDonalds lunch with Daddy
18th - Swimming at Water Park and Picnic Day
19th - Christmas Movie night
20th - Cooking Marshmallow Christmas trees
21st - Stable on the Strand
22nd - Sizzler and Christmas light looking
23rd - Christmas Eve Eve Party
24th - Stable on the Strand Carols

I write a corny poem and print it out on a digitally scrapbooked card to put in our calendar. Our calendar is a paper one that we make with the kids and decorate - it's using origami. We just get Christmassy looking scrapbooking paper and I fold them into the pockets. The kids then decorate the pockets and I stick them on a bit piece of cardboard and each of the cards for the day go inside.

We also set up our tree in November - DH starts nagging me about it in October because he loooooves Christmas. We spend a couple of days making special food beforehand and send the kids a letter in the mail to tell them when we are setting up the tree. We have call it our Christmas Tree Party, we play Christmas music and eat food that we shouldn't and afterwards this year, we had a 'Christmas Dinner' - roast ham & veggies with a special dessert and we use up all last year's left over bon bons. The kids thought it was fantastic and we had fun.

The other nice thing about the Christmas tree party is that all the decorations that they have made or picked for our tree come out and the kids just love looking at them - they don't remember making or chosing some of them, but they love it when we tell them about it. We also have a photo of each of them on our tree from their first Christmas and they love seeing their baby photo on our Christmas tree too.

I also get the kids a special outfit to wear through December when we have Christmas parties and carols to go to. This year, I made the girls a no sew red and white tutu with a plain white T-shirt that I have attached some boutique bows to for decoration. They get a new party dress to wear on Christmas day. I take photos of them in their special Christmas outfits and when we make the cards during Advent, they make a card they can slot a photo of themselves into so everyone gets a photo of each of my kids for Christmas every year as well.

When we make Christmas presents for everyone, we try to make them practical art - things people can use around the house. This year DD1 is painting a pencil holder for each couple (Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Special Friends), DS is painting some wooden placemats and DD2 will paint a canvas (DD1 and DS have painted a canvas for everyone at the same age). In other years we have painted plain cloth shopping bags, plate and mug drawings, made coasters (Big W sells sets of 6 glass coasters for photos - we put paintings in them instead of photos).

Christmas is pretty intense in our house but we treat it more like a festival. We love Christmas time

[Taurean]

Just me - I LOVE your Christmas ideas!! You are such a gorgeous, creative and fun family. Can I come and live at your house??? LOL

[Just Me]

Just me - I LOVE your Christmas ideas!! You are such a gorgeous, creative and fun family. Can I come and live at your house??? LOL

Ha ha - trust me, it's not fun and games all the time. We are having one of those days today But I'm flattered that you want to come and live with us




I read this blog. This post is about the Easter Bunny but same sort of idea. If you feel like a good laugh - check this out: Hyperbole and a Half: The Year the Easter Bunny Died

[Arimeh]

Just Me - I wanna come and live at your house too. As long as you have air conditioning.

We don't celebrate santa in this house either - both DH and I have a problem with the kids accepting presents from an old man, who they have never met, never will meet - so its a stranger. Like I said to DH the other night - if we get our kids to believe that santa is good and accepting presents from him is fine - whats to stop them from accepting a present from a paedophile dressed like santa who offers them something, grabs them by the arm, rips them into his car and goes off and kills them?

Yes, my mind really does think that way... comes from being a cop's daughter I think... LOL

[onthefly]

I don't know if I ever really believed in santa - it was kind of a conspiracy where nobody would speak the truth lest we miss out on presents. So there was no shattering of trust or anything - but eventually we just had to accept we were too old to pretend to believe any more.

I remember one year - I must have been 5 or 6 maybe - mum and dad must have been drinking the night before and had forgotten to put santa's gifts out. I got up at some ungodly hour to find nothing there, so tiptoed into mum and dad's room and told mum that santa hadn't been... she told me to go back to bed. Which I did, and waited while I heard them fumbling and muttering as they moved the gifts from their wardrobe (oh yeah, we knew where all the presents were too) out to the front room.

Myabe I've just always been a cynic

[Honeybee]

I remember one year - I must have been 5 or 6 maybe - mum and dad must have been drinking the night before and had forgotten to put santa's gifts out. I got up at some ungodly hour to find nothing there, so tiptoed into mum and dad's room and told mum that santa hadn't been... she told me to go back to bed. Which I did, and waited while I heard them fumbling and muttering as they moved the gifts from their wardrobe (oh yeah, we knew where all the presents were too) out to the front room.

That's hilarious Marcellus! Nice one Mum and Dad!