25 Days of Christmas: Day 3
Day 3 of our 25 Days of Christmas, and the holiday is getting closer and closer. I must get the rest of my decorations up this weekend!
One of the things I love about the Christmas season is watching the children. They just make the holidays magic. Everything becomes a magical time for them.
When my brother’s five kids were younger, we always had Christmas Eve at our house. I would make Christmas stockings for everyone, including the adults. Once everyone got in the house, my husband would sneak the box of stockings out onto the front porch. At some point in the evening, we would hear “Ho, Ho, Ho!” and a knock on the door! In would come Santa with stockings for everyone. He would sit in the rocker and made each and every person come sit on his lap to get their stocking. The kids would always seem so excited by that.
If you have a chance this season, find a children’s Christmas program in your area. It will be so uplifting to watch them turn the season into something magical.
I love going to the mall and watching the kids visit Santa as well. There’s nothing quite like the sparkle in a child’s eyes during the holiday to just make you enjoy the holiday.
My niece’s middle child announced not too long ago that she has a “five year Santa plan.” Yes, that’s right, she has her requests from Santa planned out for the next five years. She’s 10. Last week she told me she’s been thinking about it and she just might have to make it a 10-year plan. She’s an amazing little girl. When I said “Well, what if Santa doesn’t bring you something really big?” Her response was “It doesn’t matter what Santa brings, what counts is that he thought of you.” I’m glad she looks at things this way at a time when it seems the entire country is struggling with the economic changes in our world.
So if you do nothing else this season, enjoy those children. They will bring to you the absolute magic of the holidays!
Over to You!
And now it’s your turn! Have you seen this with the children in your life?
Holiday Basket
Our holiday basket grew a little more today! It’s now at $105 and is going to make some nice last minute shopping money for the lucky winner! You can still donate with the purple donate button on the right!
Christmas Trivia
For yesterday’s trivia question, the Grinch’s dog is indeed named Max! For today, here’s your stumper: What US President banned Christmas trees from his home, even while he lived in the White House? Happy Hunting!
Related posts:
- 25 Days of Christmas: Day 18
- 25 Days of Christmas: Day 8
- 25 Days of Christmas: Day 22
- 25 Days of Christmas: Day 10
- 25 Days of Christmas: Day 9
Tagged with: 25 days of Christmas • values • writing your life story
Filed under: Fun Things • Holidays
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Theodore Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from his home.
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As a staunch conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt, banned Christmas trees from his home.
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I think it was Roosevelt; for evironmental reasons.
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Kimberly sounded so definite, she’s probably right. For some reason, though, I want to say I think it was Harry S. Truman, and that is strictly a 100% guess!
Now…about the 3rd Day of Christmas….
I agree that little children at Christmastime are the absolute best! I mentioned in a previous post that I love going to hear the children’s choir Christmas program (or concert), or watching Christmas movies that particularly feature child actors. I don’t know exactly what it is about children and Christmas–maybe it is their fascination, and maybe it is their “blind faith” compared to that of adults who think they “know the truth,” you know? I remember in 2 of the 3 versions of “Miracle on 34th Street” that I have how the New York City post office decides to deliver all of the many bags of undelivered mail addressed to Santa to the courthouse because Santa “is on trial there” and it is through that fortunate circumstance that the judge is let off the hook and doesn’t have to be a bad guy by declaring that Santa Claus, particularly in the person of “Kris Kringle” (who is the man on trial), does not exist. (In the newest remake, he also gets a Christmas card with a dollar bill inside on which the phrase “In God We Trust” is circled with a bright-colored marker so it will stand out.) Based upon those 2 simultaneous occurrences, the judge conveniently rules that since the Post Office is an authoritative body…and since the Federal Government does not question the existence of God when they include that phrase on our currency…he will likewise not dispute that Santa Claus exists, and (again) particularly in the person of Kris Kringle–’CASE DISMISED.’ (I have a home-recorded little-known version of this movie in which the starring role of Kris Kringle was actually played by Sebastian Cabot–how many of you have seen THAT one?)
My extensive Christmas movie collection includes 41 full-length movies, probably about 45 or so of the half-hour cartoon-type shows, perhaps 10 full-length animated features, many special Christmas programs by people such as Kathie Lee and Martha Stewart, and other Christmas programs that feature Olympic ice skaters and even the Radio City Music Hall “Rockettes.” (A lot of my movies are “classics” and quite a few star actors and actresses that are no longer living, and that also adds to how special they are to me.) I think I have at least 6 versions of Scrooge, and it would be impossible for me to choose which I prefer. I won’t get into the “exact size” of my movie collection, but believe me when I say that I’m not at a loss for Christmas programs, no matter what the date happens to be–even 4th of July!
Each year, the year seems to go by faster than it did just the year before. I can remember when last Christmas was over and one day I looked at the calendar and already 5 months had gone by–we were only 7 months from next Christmas! And now, here we are…only 21 nights from Christmas Eve and 22 days from the big day itself! There is so much to do before then…and truly SO LITTLE TIME!
If you have wonderful little children in your lives, don’t make Christmas about the “what” but instead about the “who”…and that not only includes Baby Jesus but also all those children who mean something special to you personally. On one of the past two days, someone felt bad because of not having a lot of extra money to “buy” presents for her children. I join in with another member’s answer that it is not what you BUY for your children but the part of you that is GIVEN. No matter what “day of Christmas” it happens to be, the entire Season that revolves around Christ’s birth is about giving freely of yourself without thought to what you may get in return (or a monetary value that can be placed upon it). To all of you, I share my heart, my innermost thoughts, my wishes for peace and harmony and love in all of our homes and lives, and my thanks to each of you for BEING part of my life–I am SO blessed! Thank you!
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I love this part of what you said: “Don’t make Christmas about the ‘what’ but instead about the ‘who’” That is exactly how it should be!
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Last year while at the mall, I did stop to watch the children visit Santa. He was the PERFECT Santa. I just had to go to one of the nearby stores and bought a framed picture with the following quote (paraphrased here): One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of house you lived in, how much money you had or what your clothes were like. But the world may be a little better because you made a difference in the life of a child.” I had it gift-wrapped and presented it to Santa. I thought it was the perfect gift for a perfect Santa. God bless the children… and Santa.
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Sherry Evans Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 am
Shirley, that was PERFECT! I wonder if anybody else has EVER done something as nice as you did that day for that mall Santa? In fact, I’d bet you were that Santa’s FIRST and LAST!
Maybe I’m wreong, but I think that people generally have a tendency to forget how important those “little things” can be in showing appreciation and also in shaping someone’s attitude for the entire day. Up until that mall Santa opened your gift, he COULD have just been thinking, “I’ll give them what they’re paying me for.” After? “Don’t ever stop believing! I’ll do my part to be sure you don’t. In fact, I love being Santa so much that if I could, I’d pay the mall to LET me be their Santa!”
How many people who could really have impact on our everyday lives get overlooked at Christmastime because we think that what they do is “their job” and that should be enough? I know that when I make Christmas cookies and candies, I always put a plate together and take to our local Fire Department, Police Department (or Sheriff’s Office), and Ambulance Service/EMS. (With the exception of the Fire Chief, our firemen are all volunteers and so receive no compensation whatsoever for risking their lives to save the lives that could be lost in a home fire in addition to the home and all of a family’s belongings…who ever says thank you for risking your life for me? While it is true that our peace officers get paid, isn’t just the fact that they risk their lives every day they are in that uniform “doing what is expected of them” reason enough to give them special thanks…especially at Christmastime?) I can actually remember back in high school home economics class when we were given a little paper chart of people to be remembered at Christmastime such as firemen and policemen…and we were encouraged to give them a monetary “remembrance” inside a hand-written card…is that asking too much for that once a year when EVERYTHING is about giving?
To all the mall Santas, to all the bell-ringing Santas, and to all the hardworking men and women who place their lives on the line to “protect and serve,” I want to absolutely go on record as saying how very appreciated you are. It’s hard to imagine someone being as selfless as you all are, and it is just another thing that I am thankful for every day of my life. It takes special people to do this work…THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!
Thank you, Santa, for helping children to keep that twinkle in their eyes. Even though I know you are but one of the REAL Santa’s “helpers”, to each child you ARE Santa…and that’s all that matters. (What do you suppose Santa would like for Christmas anyway?)
Thanks again, Shirley. You did a really wonderful thing!
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Shirley Reply:
December 4th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Sherry, I think you have said it all. Hope your holidays are peaceful and joyous. I would LOVE to see you as our Santa in the mall!
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Sarah Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:07 pm
That is so incredibly kind. I bet that just made his day. If we all did things like that, even if it was just a kind word to a stranger, just imagine how much better the world would be!
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Shirley Reply:
December 4th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Indeed. Thanks for your “complimentary” reply. HO HO HO
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Shirley, that’s one of my favorite quotes and what an awesome thing that you did that!
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Shirley Reply:
December 4th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I wish that the quote had been popular when I was growing up, as I took care of my younger sisters (5), and brother, and in retrospect, there are many things I would have done differentlty. Thanks for your reply.
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“So if you do nothing else this season, enjoy those children. They will bring to you the absolute magic of the holidays!”
That is the truth! My daughter said and did something this morning that is exactly what Christmas is all about. The whole house stopped and looked at her with our jaws dropped. I think her daddy, the big 6’3″ and 225 pound manly man of the house, had a tear in his eye. I will have to tell that story later because I’m working and I’ll get teary eyed! For being 10 years old, she is very wise.
The answer to the trivia question is Teddy Roosevelt. I wonder if him banning them led to the creation of the artificial tree? I will have to read more on that later.
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Sarah, so much truth comes “from the mouths of babes….”
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Yesterday my husband and I went to the library and the parking lot was packed full, which is not usually the case. There was a steady stream of parents and children going in for the “Winter Wonderland” program for the children. The library was certainly not quiet yesterday but it was a joy to see the happiness on the little ones faces as they listened to the a man playing his guitar and singing Christmas carols. They were sitting on the floor and looking up at him and singing along when they knew the words. I think they were going to have cookies and punch afterwards as well.
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Yes indeed, the libraries are also a great place this time of year. It’s so much fun to watch the children!
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My husband, especially when he was more overweight, kind of looks like Santa, except he just has a beard and no mustache. Anyway, he used to love going to the mall at Christmas, sitting outside on a bench, smoking his pipe, wearing a red knit cap. The kids just stared! He never dressed up officially as Santa, but the resemblance was enough that they did double-takes.
Speaking of children, when our daughter was little, we passed a market where they were selling live Christmas trees. I said, “Oh, the Christmas trees are out,” and she said, “Those aren’t Christmas trees; those are just trees!” To her, a tree wasn’t a Christmas tree until it was decorated.
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
What an awesome story and I bet he had some real fun with that. Now I also realize that all I have so far in my house is “just a tree” so I better get going on those decorations this weekend!
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Shirley Reply:
December 4th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
We just got a “tree” today. I will remember your daughter now each year we go find ours. The decorations come out tomorrow. We have many ornaments, so it takes us three to four days to get them all put on, but how wonderful our Christmas trees always look.
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“And now it’s your turn! Have you seen this with the children in your life?”
This morning I woke up feeling especially well rested and went up to the kitchen to make a big pot of hot coco for the kids. After they were all ready we were talking about the day ahead and what everyone had to accomplish in the hours between then and seeing each other again. Their school does a Santa’s Workshop where the children can take a few dollars and buy gifts for their families without the families knowing what they got. We had made a group decision to skip it this year and focus our efforts on other things.
At birthday’s my parents always send the children cash in a card and they go right out and spend it. They all do this, well all of them except for Hannah who is just a little penny pincher! Goodness knows how big her stash is right now. So after the workshop was mentioned again our son decided to tell on her that she had her money with her and was going to buy presents. He tends to be a very difficult child to get along with and very challenging to parent. He was smiling from ear to ear as he thought he was going to get her in trouble. I love him dearly, but that is just the way he tends to be. If he can bring something unhappy upon his sisters it thrills him. He was pretty disappointed this time! I reminded Hannah that we weren’t going to do that this year and to please just save her money for something she would like to have. No one said a word of anything negative.
My beautiful little 10-year-old daughter then turned around to me and her daddy and I swear you could feel the spirit of Christmas rush into the house with her words. She said “I don’t really care if I get presents or not. It doesn’t matter. I just like giving everybody presents. That makes me feel happy because it makes them happy.”
That is exactly what Christmas is about. It makes me so happy to have this child who not only knows that but really feels it. To see how happy she was that she could do something for her family, I just cannot explain how happy that made me. To see the holiday’s through her eyes was very magical!
Please feel free to visit us at the blog I just created! The name probably sounds odd but it is a reference to what I thought was a beautiful ending to the show Lost. If you watched Lost, you will understand. I keep talking about my munchkins and you can see what the little stinkers look like here! It is a work in progress.
http://thisismyflashsideways.blogspot.com/
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Sarah, this story just brought tears to my eyes so I sure understand why you waited till later in the day to post it when you weren’t trying to work. What an awesome little girl and what a true picture of what the holidays are supposed to be about! I love the pics on your blog. It looks like it will be a fun one!
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Linda Kirvel Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Sarah, thank you for sharing such a wonderful story about your daughter and family. Children have a knack of cutting to the chase when you least expect it.
I stopped by your blog and will be following you. You have some great pictures on there and I look forward to seeing more.
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The answer is Theodore Roosevelt.
I don’t have any young children in my life right now. I used to love assisting with the Christmas shows when my kids were in elementary school.
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Speaking of “Winter Wonderland,” I think these snowflakes you have falling on this page are a neat addition, Kathy!
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Kathy Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Thanks! I just found that today in one of my “reader” articles and thought I’d give it a try since it’s the holidays!
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Sherry Evans Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
I’ll bet they have something for every holiday–confetti for New Year’s Eve, hearts for Valentine’s Day, firecrackers or fireworks for 4th of July, etc. It should be interesting!
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