The Joy Of Giving

After a somber story, I do have a happy one to tell, that includes a great teaching moment with Coqui.

So Monday, December the 19th, Coqui tells me that he doesn't want it to be Hanukkah tomorrow. I was very surprised and asked him, why. His explanation was something along the line of "wanting it to be Christmas already". So I asked him why he doesn't want to wait, it was only five more days. So he tells me that he was ready to receive his gifts.

Oh, all the red flags went up and I knew this was the moment to bring out my teaching tools...

So I told him that Christmas is not only about receiving gifts, but foremost to give gifts and joy. (Besides that it is about Jesus anyways, but he knows that part very well - we had been working on the nativity story half the month of December.) We had talked about the 'joy of giving' before, especially when it comes to someone else's birthday and Coqui doesn't get a gift but has to buy one for the friend. The sound of those 'greedy' words scared me enough to want to make this one stick... until next year.

When I asked him if he has brought any gifts for the family, he had to deny. I told him that he needed to give, too, not just expect gifts. I made him pull out his piggy bank and told him that I would take him shopping the very next day to buy a gift for each family member.

Tuesday came and he was actually very excited to go on a 'Mami-date', buying gifts for the people he loves. Leaving the house, he actually already told me that he had an idea for his Mema (grandma) and Buelo (grandpa) - which made me happy, because I knew then that he had actually thought about what I had told him.

We left the house and went to the first store where he found easily what he wanted for the two mentioned-above family members. Standing at the cash register, he put the two items on the counter and asked how much it was. He then pulled out his money. It was about $9, 86 (or something close to it) - and we started counting his pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Yes, only coins! It was a Christian store, so I loved that the lady working there was very supportive and asked Coqui lots of questions. He made him feel proud and it was worth every penny that was counted - which took about two minutes to count those nine dollars and some change.

By now, he was so psyched. He told me where he needed to go next and I brought him there. There, we looked around quite a long time. It was hard to find something suitable for Daddy, but at last he made a decision. Finding something for his sister was so much easier - I think it was hardest to make a wise decision, money-wise. Again, I helped him pay for the items purchased. He was so excited - it was contagious for me.


Now, I told him, he had to find someone else to take him shopping, because, obviously, I couldn't be around when he was buying me a present. So a few days later, Daddy went out and got him something for me - but he took Coqui's money.

Arriving home, Coqui yelled into the house for everyone to hide, so we could carry in our 'loot' and bring it upstairs, where we went to work on wrapping it right away. He did this mostly himself as well. Then we made name tags and he wrote out each name all by himself. It was so cute. All four presents were wrapped in four different papers, that were then hidden in our bedroom.

On Christmas morning, he brought them out and watched all of us unwrapping his presents - it was beautiful to see him so joyful. Mema cried when she opened hers, but that was a giving.....

I am so glad that this happened - what a great way to teach my boy about the joy of giving.

Being emotional

Do you know the song "Christmas Shoes" by NewSong? It's a good song, less for the melody, but those words are making me cry every time I hear it. (Here is a link to the youtube video, in case you want to cry, too.)

So I was driving yesterday in the car, and it came on. Usually I would skip the song on our CD, but it's hard on the radio. So I braved it, but to no avail. It made me bawl......blurring my vision while trying to manage traffic in pre-Christmas season. Oh well.

The thing that gets me each and every time is the similarity to our family - or what it could have been, four years ago. When I was diagnosed with cancer, my son was only 13 months old. If I would not have made it, he could be the one in the song. Ugh, it gets me right now.... I am so thankful that God pulled me through and that I am still here to see my children grow - and yes children, and each and every one of them is a miracle in my eyes! God deserves all the glory because He blessed me in so many ways. I am very grateful for His love and mercy.

There were a few more Christmas songs during that drive that drained a few more tears - maybe I am just totally emotional these days!? Merry Christmas to you all. And may God bless you abundantly.

Do I tell them the truth?

Last year, we started a new tradition.... and I almost forgot about it this year.
Have you ever heard of the Elf on the Shelf? Well, he/she arrived last year in our house and was named.....

... but I couldn't remember! I had to go back to my post from last year (here) to find out that it got the name 'Olli'. I still like it. I got the calendars ready, but I forgot to pull Olli out last night, so I did this morning, and Coqui still hasn't found it yet. I am waiting for his excited cry out. (If not, I have to point it out to him.)

But with this and so many other traditions, there comes a little bit of a battle, on many levels, emotionally, spiritually, and culturally.

Most kids grow up knowing who Santa is and believe that he really exists. Santa has different names all over the world, but the idea is the same: a good guy in a red suit that gives gifts to the behaved children and spanking or coal or whatever not-so-nice thing to the ones that misbehaved. In Germany, he is called Weihnachtsmann or Saint Nikolaus, in French Pere Noel, in Russian it's Ded Moroz, and in Spain El Nino Jesus. So the elf Olli is suppose to help Santa keep track of those children and if they are behaving, or not.

So what threw me off was the idea of a guy having almost the same power as God. As Christians, we know the reason for this season, and the reason is called Jesus. So it is sad, to me, that we (me included) forget, sometimes. For me it is especially an (extra) effort to make the transition from my childhood memories that were so not God-focused and more traditional and cultural, to a God-driven attitude of celebrating Jesus' birth.

So about two weeks ago, I announced in my support group that I wanted to tell my kids the TRUTH about Santa. That did not go over well! We do live in the bible belt, and (most of) these women are believers, but they did not like me taking away from the magic of Christmas. What magic? Is Santa suppose to be the magic? Why do we need that? I don't think of my childhood memories as magic, they are just special. And shouldn't the birth of Jesus be magic? I mean any birth is a miracle, a miracle of God, of a human being entering this world as a creation of God. That is true magic!

I don't remember when I found out the truth, I really don't. It might have been a gradual process where one hears things at school and wonders for a long time, until the parents finally give in and tell what is really going on at Christmas. I DO remember, though, finding the secret hiding place of my parents - the place where they kept the presents that they had bought for us. Then I remember watching them through the keyhole carrying those presents, wrapped now, from their bedroom to the living room. So maybe this is how I found out. But I do not remember to be sad or anything. There was no breaking of the spell..... the magic (and I wouldn't have called it this way as a child) was not gone! Christmas was still special to me.

Today, as a mom myself, and especially as a Christian mom, I want my kids to know about Jesus first, then about the 'joy of giving', and then about receiving gifts!

So now I want to know from you, how you learned about the truth. Was it a shock? And did it destroy any magic? Or did you never know who Santa is?
And if you are a parent - when are you planning on telling your children the truth? 

Also: I want to send you to my friend's blog post from today: Beth wrote about a neat advent book in order to keep the thought of Jesus close to our hearts. Please check it out, here.

Adventszeit, schoenste Zeit

Translated that means that the time before Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.

So Christmas is my second favorite holiday, right after my birthday. Okay, all kidding aside, Christmas is a wonderful time and every year, I am enjoying everything about it, the music, the smells, the anticipation. But most of all, I have come to appreciate it as the celebration of the birth of our Savior.

So tomorrow is the first day of December - do you know what that means? My children do! They get to open the first window on their advent calendar. This is a part that I remember so vividly from when I was a child that I don't want my kids to miss out on it.

This year, we are going with the Playmobil one. It's the forest theme - which I thought was great for boy and girl. I only have one, so they have to share it. Each window has a toy that will be added to the scenery that came with the package.

I am a big fan of Playmobil and so is Coqui. Peanut is still a bit too young for most the pieces, but I hope that she will grow accustomed to it fast. At the end, we will have a nice collection of forest animals and their winter food.


Of course, slowly, we are decorating our house for the occasion. I pulled out all the boxes, but I have not have time to put it all up yet. But this weekend, we will buy the tree and decorate it. And I want to finish everything else, so I can do other things, like shopping and making cookies.
Here are a few pictures from the stuff that is out already. Of course, we are playing LOTS of Christmas music, in English, German and Spanish - a very interesting, cultural mix.
Most of all, I want to show off our stockings, because they are FIVE this year! Yeah.

Eventual, the baby will get it's own hanger, but I need to make a trip to a certain store for that. Can you tell that I have an oldest-one that is obsessed with trains? 

 This is Coqui's room. It's the most decorated so far - he is just way too excited! He also has a candy cane on his window, and those lights that look like candles. It's so bright in there at night that I can read his good-night stories without turning on the room light.

 My German 'Pyramide' that Mema had found for me one year. I totally love it.

Merry Christmas.