I have always loved Christmas time – the lights, the music, the time with family, George Bailey, Linus and the Grinch – but I don’t think any December of my life has felt quite as special as it has this year. We moved into a new house the first weekend of the month, and having twice as much space, and a mantle from which to hang stockings – not to mention weekends suddenly free from showings and house hunting – certainly feels like a gift. But what’s really made this Christmas season a stand-out is seeing it through the eyes of a toddler.
Though she is just-shy of 17 months, Olive already has an extensive Christmastime vocabulary. A few days ago, I told her we’d be going to her grandparents’ house, and asked her who we might see there.
“Mor Mor? Papa? Uncle Jeff? Aunt Devon?”
“Jingle Bells!”
She talks about toys, wreaths, stockings, elves and angels…and of course, the big guy, Santa Claus. Any older man with a beard is Santa. Any person or cartoon character wearing a red furry hat is likely to be greeted, “Hi, Santa!” Her standard exclamation these days is “Merry Santa! Ho ho ho!” When we moved, we unearthed some “nesting” Santas, which she loves – particularly the littlest one, which she has dubbed “Baby Santa.” Sometimes when she’s in her crib, waiting to be picked up, or getting her diaper changed, she’ll call out “Hi, Baby Santa”! We took her to see a real Santa, at the Salem Riverfront Carousel; she loves horses though, so I’m not sure she even noticed the man! At any rate, when we returned home and showed her the pictures on the computer, she was excited. “Hi, Santa!”
On a recent trip to Target, I spied a Little People nativity set (a “Target Exclusive” – marketing jargon for “buy this now, or you’ll never have another chance!”), and thought I’d balance out the commercialism with a little spirituality. (In the form of toys, but whatever.) She loves it, and can identify all the different people and animals; she calls each of the wise men, “Man.
Our morning ritual this week has been to go directly to the Christmas tree – which she calls a wreath – to identify and greet all the ornaments. “Hi, rabbit! Hi, clown! Hi, bird!” There are some, a stuffed dog wearing a Santa hat, for example, that must be taken off the tree and carried around the house. Luckily, we’ve managed to limit the number of “traveling” ornaments to just one or two.
And now I’m off to wrap some presents; an important job, as Olive will probably like the paper and bows just as much as the toys this year. What a festive pile of trash we will create!
Merry Santa, and a joyful holiday season, to you.
