Pictures with Santa

I know I posted these pictures a while ago but I thought I would add an explanation.  

CNU had their annual Christmas tree lighting and since it was free, our students might be there, Santa was rumored to be there, and there was free cookies and hot cocoa, we decided to go.  I talked to Nate all day about seeing a really big Christmas tree and maybe seeing Santa.  He was really excited.  The tree lighting was fun (although cold) and Nate had a blast playing with some other faculty kids.  Then we headed inside to get our cookies and maybe see Santa.  Nate of course picked the biggest of the three cookies that Daddy got for us (Mommy didn't mind 'cause hers had Chocolate on the bottom!).  Then we got in line to see Santa.  Nate was still so excited to see Santa.  Well once we got in the room with Santa, Nate started to get a little nervous.  He got about 12 feet from Santa then turned to me and said, "I don't like Santa anymore, I don't like Santa anymore!"  Jeff decided to pick him up and see how he would do and from the safety of Daddy arms all the sudden Santa wasn't too scary anymore.  We had planned on just doing the kids pictures with Santa but since Nate wouldn't let go of Daddy it turned into a family picture, with Daddy sitting on Santa's lap. :)  CNU was taking the pictures so it was nice that they just posted them online so we could download them for free!!  (However I decided to download them while I was giving my students their final and then I couldn't email them to myself because the files were too big...hence how they ended up on the blog with no explanation.)  Later we asked Nate why he thought Santa was scary and he said, "His belt was big and had letters on it."  Not sure why that's scary but I guess only Nate knows.  Coley was fascinated with Santa and I think she would have stayed all night after Santa started to let her play with his bells. :)

I know many people/Christians have different opinions/views of Santa and I don't totally know my opinion but I think as the kids grow I am figuring out how to handle it.  Since you see Santa every where you go and on every lots of commercials it seems like you can't ignore Santa.  Nate knows about Santa but I don't think he has figured out that Santa is "supposed to bring presents."  What we have spent a lot of time talking about is how Baby Jesus is going to have a birthday and because he is the GREATEST gift God could ever give us, we spend His birthday celebrating by giving each other gifts.  One of my Sunday school kids this morning mentioned (as a pray requested) that he wanted to figure out what gift to give Baby Jesus for his birthday.  It was so much fun to tell him that the greatest gift he could give Baby Jesus was himself.  I really hope that as Nate grows we can have fun with Santa (provided we aren't just as scared of Santa next year as we were this year) but that we will never forget what we are really celebrating at Christmas time.

A funny Santa story:  I have been having a lot of headaches lately which sometimes are aggravated by train/plane noises from a little someone in our house.  I mentioned to him one day that, "I had a pounding headache."  So now anytime I rub my temples Nate asks me if I have a "poungin hegache".  The other day we were watching the news and a commercial with Santa came on.  I think the commercial is for Advil but at one point Santa rubs his achin' back.  Anytime that commercial comes on now Nate mentions that poor Santa has a "poungin hegache just like Mommy."  :)