She’s waiting for it. Eagerly.
We have the Advent Calendar up, a fabric banner with dated pockets at the bottom and velcro patches to stick angels, star, wise men, many livestock, and holy family up in a manger scene. Kitten loves it, and it is a standard part of the evening’s go-to-bed activities.
I’m not sure how much she understands about the Real Christmas Story. We managed not to find a book for her on the subject his year, so we’ll have to make a point of it next. Or I might actually have a go at it myself.
She does understand Santa Claus. She picked up the “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town” song right away, and has the old Big Brother riff down pat. We haven’t exercised it as leverage (“Katherine — would Santa want you to do that?”) but I’m sure we will, sooner or later.
She’s still young enough that we can wrap gifts for her in front of her without her realizing it, and leave them someplace accessible.
She wanted two things this year: “Mouse Trap” and a doll house. She obviously ran across the former in a commercial, and, like me, fell in love with its Rube Goldberg nature, even though it’s recommended for kids 6+. Well, unlike me, she’s going to get one. The doll house will be a CostCo special, far too big to schlep on the plane, so a call will arrive Christmas Day “from home” reporting that Santa visited our house, too …
She added a third gift to the previous pair sometime in the last few days. “And a Barbie.” Margie and I need to talk on that one …
She made and wrapped a gift for us in the Old Preschool. I know what it is solely because I arrived early with her last Tuesday and the teachers were putting on the finishing touches. But I’m sure it will become as much of a feature of the house as the crude clay ash tray and elephant I made for my dad back in Kindergarten were a feature of his dresser for years, long past their useful life.
Though I received the ash tray as a gift back from the folks a year or so ago, and it now resides on my bureau, holding pens. Very cool.
One question to be resolved still is how Santa gifts are to be handled. They’ll be there when she awakens, but in what state? In my house, growing up, Santa gifts were unwrapped and on display. That’s how you knew they were Santa gifts. At the Ks, they appear to be wrapped, or at least boxed. So how do you tell the difference? Well, for the ones we’re giving her, Santa gives toys, Mom & Dad give socks and clothes. That ‘s probably telling in and of itself.
Santa always uses different paper. Even when we had no money and our paper was the sunday funnies – santa gifts were either not wrapped or had fancy store bought paper (no doubt the stuff the grands bought and packaged, but an effective signal)
Ah. Clever idea.
Saw a nice Catwoman Barbie in a comix store last week.