Secret Santa

[Minta]

Well our daughter will be 9 this Christmas and some of her class mates no longer believe in Santa or are questioning if Santa is real. I know it will be only a matter of time before she starts questioning it too. Last year one of the boys told her that Santa wasn’t real and that his parents bought all his presents. She told him that was because he was bad and Santa doesn’t bring presents to bad boys!!!! LOL! I am hoping she keeps innocently believing for another year or two.

To me Santa is more then an actual person …it’s the feeling…. The spirit if giving, making someone’s holiday more enjoyable so on that note I was thinking about becoming a secret Santa to one of our neighbors. Her husband recently died, this is the second husband she lost in 10 years and she lost her son last year. I have known this lady for many years and she is a very sweet person. I am going to get my daughter involved in this and do the 12 days of Christmas anonymously by leaving a small gift for her each day for 12 days. I think it would truly lift her spirits and it will introduce the true spirit of Christmas to my daughter… giving without receiving! I am hoping that when the time comes that her friends no longer believe in Santa the person at least my daughter will believe in the spirit of Santa.

 

[Santa_Elf]

What a wonderful idea and a wonderful way to teach the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.

YOur daughter is so lucky to have you as a mom


Eddie

 

[luludou]

Wonderful idea! the real meaning of the Christmas spirit.

 

[festivefun]

How wonderful! I can't wait to hear all about it

 

[cipalla]

That sounds great!

 

[SparkleNana]

Minta - I love your idea! And getting your daughter involved is a great idea! You make me want to do the same thing!

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Minta...what a beautiful idea. I'm sure that the recipient will be overjoyed to receive her little gifts everyday.

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

Minta - What a great way to teach the spirit of Christmas. We are doing a Christmas Jar with the boys this year and they are being so generous with the money they put into the jar. I bet your daughter will really relish the opportunity to be a secret santa and her innocent spirit will renew you as well. I hope you'll share more with us when you start!

 

[Minta]

Thanks everyone. We talked to our daughter about this last night and she is soooo excited about doing this. She already has some ideas of what she wants to give: flavored tea bags, cocoa mixes, candy canes, christmas kitchen towels, hersey kisses, and she wants to make an ornmanent or 2 for her. Looks like we will be brain storming over the next few months to figure out what gifts to give on which of the 12 nights. I was thinking on the morning of Christmas Eve I could have someone that she and I both know (like another neighbor) to hand deliver a box of assorted (12) donuts/muffins/danishes. At least we have plenty of time to figure this out!!!! This is going to be fun!

 

[SparkleNana]

I LOVE the idea of having someone deliver a box of assorted breakfast pastries on the morning of Christmas Eve! THAT is when most of the world is really in high gear - getting last-minute things done for Christmas Day! And a box of wonderful treats - ready to have then.... for a mid-afternoon energy boost -- extra goodies for Christmas Day.... just WONDERFUL! The TIMING on that is perfect!

 

[Doodlebug]

What a Blessing you are Minta. My Wed. night church class is collecting money this year for Chirstmas Shoe boxes. I added a jar of change to it last night. We now have $91.00. We have only been doing this since January. I think it is great to get Children involved in helping those that are struggling either financially or emotionally.

 

[jackfrosty]

Bravo, Minta! You are making some beautiful memories and spreading such happiness!

 

[alisonmcg]

What a lovely idea. Last Christmas was DD10 first knowing the Santa secret and,although we still had a wonderful Christmas,it definitely still isn't the same when they know. But we worked hard to make sure she had plenty of surprises and we visited family on both Christmas Eve and Day which we had never done before. She asked for her gifts to be laid out in the living room as if Santa had been and we still tracked Santa on NORAD. So it was different but a good different.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Alison I agree with you, my kids are 21 and 17 and obviously know about Santa. It took me a while to adapt to the new way of having Christmas. I think that I was more upset than the kids were when they found out.

It is different but still Oh so good.
I am thinking that this year we may be able to do what Minta is doing and find somebody in our community the needs some Christmas cheer.

 

[alisonmcg]

Sweetpumkinpye I'm glad I'm not the only one to have felt upset when she found out. She cried and I cried and I felt so awful. But because last Christmas was so much fun for her,it didn't seem to bother her come Christmas itself. She also has younger cousins and feels very grown up to keep such a special secret.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Now that the kids are older they realise how important it is to keep the magic in Christmas and we can sit down and ask them the things that they enjoy. Last year for the first time we had movie night on Christmas Eve. We got two new Christmas movies to watch and I did up a Christmas Eve Basket (thanks to a wonderful suggestion from MHH) which I filled with chocolates, chips, cans of coke, popcorn and the movies. I also packed new toothbrushes and toothpaste and christmas bubblebath and soaps and new pj's. Everything we would need for a nice Christmas Eve. We had a blast and the kids really loved it. We are doing it again this year for sure.