Christmas Spirit

Olivia has really gotten into Christmas this year.  She's at the right age to just start enjoying the magic of Christmas.  This year, our house is once again decked out with Christmas trees, angels, lights and Christmas ornaments… when I was putting decorations up, she'd notice every day with the changes that had been made.  We decorated a Christmas tree for her in her room - with many ornaments, but specifically the Snoopy ornaments that I received from my mom each year for Christmas growing up!  It's been very special for me to share Christmas with somebody else enjoying it! 

Along with decorations, she's taken a liking to my favorite Christmas movies - Santa Claus is coming to town and Elf (it will be a while before I introduce her to Love Actually :-) ).  She has sayings from each of them - the things that we repeat quite regularly, and she's picked up on as well.  So it's hilarious when she just says one out of the blue..

She is enjoying her first advent calendar - which she sometimes thinks about first thing in the morning.  I've tried to convince her to wait till evening otherwise she forgets she did it - and she doesn't believe me when I show her the date has already been opened.  Maybe next year, we'll have to do it at a certain time each day (like right after dinner) - so that there is no question to when the treat will be available.

Last night we had our first experience (within this season) seeing a real Santa.  I'm not sure that she was too impressed ;-)  However, she didn't cry or scream, just a look of shock, that almost verged on concern… so we're considering it a success.  This Santa had visited the Foster Parent Christmas party that  Social Services (Ben's employer) puts together.  Olivia got to open a gift - she got a whale for her zoo talkers Little People set and Lincoln got clothes.  She seemed pretty impressed that Santa knew she liked Little Peoples.  Prior to that night, we had been asking her what she wants Santa to bring her for Christmas and she said "um, something to play with, like a puzzle!".  She hasn't changed her answer, and so last night I told her Santa didn't forget what she wanted for Christmas but he just wanted to give her something different and save the puzzles for Christmas day.  That seemed to work for her.

As for Christmas carols, she has learned the words to Jingle Bells (but she's known those for quite some time) - I try to get her to start from the beginning - and I think she thinks it's a different song.  She's known Away in the Manger since this summer as well.  But her new one is Santa Claus is coming to town.    I keep getting the words confused for the song, but I am going to blame Olivia cause I think she remembered it wrong and I just got used to hearing her sing it.  We are also starting Rudolph with her, but Ben mixes up the reindeer.  So, in general, the two of us learned we need to re-memorize a few of the younger Christmas carols!

She has a Christmas puzzle that we do nightly and a lot of Christmas books that are being read right now.  We put away the Grinch, because as we've read it to her, it seems she is taking that one a little too seriously ("Daddy, why does the Grinch steal their toys?)  There is one book, the Spirit of Christmas, which she got from Grandma Rella and Papa Larry a few years ago, and every time I read it, I just about cry.  She is the reason for the season and we are lucky to share the spirit of Christmas with her and now with Lincoln too!