The Evolution of Santa Claus :: According To My Daughter

by | Nov 30, 2018 | Kids

Christmas is such a magical time to me.

As a child, I have great memories of the entire holiday season. As an adult, the holiday season seemed to take on a different meaning. Some years I have been very into the season, and other years…well I could take or leave it honestly. As a parent of a Santa believer tho, it’s the best! Absolutely pure magic, more magical than being a child.

We believe in Santa in our house..hell I still believe in Santa today. When I was young and getting toward the age when I began having my doubts about the guy, I can remember questioning my Gram about whether she believed in Santa. Her response was so golden that it has stuck with me to this day. It’s a response I plan on telling my kids in years to come when they start questioning their beliefs.

Yes, honey…absolutely 100 % I still believe in Santa. What’s not to believe? As long as you have the magic of Santa in your heart, you’ll always be a believer.

My daughter has never ever been a big fan of the guy. When she was 3 years old, we started a yearly tradition of going to see Santa at the ‘North Pole’ (otherwise known as the Hesston Steam Museum in LaPorte, Indiana) and taking a ride on the Candy Cane Express. Our family gets about 5-8 minutes alone with Santa. It’s really a cool experience, an experience that I would of simply loved as a child. My daughter likes the tradition, but she’s still is not a big fan of the guy.

The Yearly Evolution of Santa

2015 :: 2 YEARS OLD

“Tell Santa to leave my presents at Kylee’s house (our neighbor at the time), I don’t want him to come to my house.”

We have no pictures with Santa from this year. She didn't even want to be in the same room as he was, and certainly under no circumstances was he to come to her house.

 

2016 :: 3 YEARS OLD

“It’s okay if Santa leaves my presents on the front porch, but he can’t come in the house.”

As you can see, she wouldn't even take her death stare, also known as her RBF, off of him long enough to take a picture. She had to make sure he wasn't coming any closer and he COULD NOT touch her. Although she did accept a candy cane from him, that was huge!

 

2017 :: 4 YEARS OLD

“Santa can come into the house, but he has to stay on the 1st floor. He isn’t allowed to come upstairs and go in my bedroom. He sees you when you are sleeping and he’s not going to see me.”

She is sitting across from him...willing to take the sticker that he offered to her. She told Santa about a couple toys she had been wanting 'really bad'. All of these toys were news to our ears, super enlightening for two apparently clueless parents. I guess I shouldn't be surprised tho. She acts an awful lot like my Mom, who doesn't tell anyone her $hit.

It’s a new year and a new age. I don’t know what age 5 will bring us. It’s always interesting with this little mind, she’s a thinker. I will never push her to sit on his lap. After all, the premise of Santa is quite creepy. An old overweight man, who you barely know (except for the 5 minutes you visit with him once a year), who knows an awful lot about you, who sees you when you are sleeping and knows when you are awake…comes IN YOUR house one night. Honestly, that could be an adult nightmare.

So I’m ok with my kid being slightly skeptical of the whole thing, but I still see the magic in her eyes and hear it in her voice when she talks. And I just love this time of the year, and I will always believe in my heart.

My Son Will Wear Pink & It Begins With This…

by | Nov 13, 2018 | Soapbox

You see that?! It’s a very pastel pink Bundle Me.

I was given this as a gift when my daughter was born. It was one of my favorite things to use with a small infant. Soooooo convenient when she was tiny and it was freezing outside. When I had my son, I tried to sell it so I could use the money to buy a different color one, but I had zero luck with that. Since putting this in his car seat, I have received more comments and looks. It has now become a principle thing (anyone who knows me knows I love to do things based on principle).

Believe it or not, pink was not always considered a ‘girl color’, a simple Google search will show plenty of examples. A June 1918 article from the trade publication Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department said, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” Pink being engrained in all of us as more feminine and a ‘girl color’ is a result of various celebrities in the 50’s & 60’s and most recently by marketing in the 80’s. Marketing manipulation at it’s finest.

In today’s society, I would love to say that we have broken down stereotypes and preconceived notions of gender. However, I have become aware that we, as a society, have a long a$$ way to go. And I almost succumbed to the pressure.

Top 6 Reasons Why My Son WILL Wear Pink:

6. I’m cheap & in my house the color pink is readily available.
5. He has absolutely no idea.
4. It’s a character builder and a taste of what is to come with society. He’s gonna have a lot of character.
3. He wont always get what he wants, but he’ll always have exactly what he needs…pink or not.
2. My daughter wears blue, green and black…what’s the difference?

And the biggest reason why my son will wear pink is:

1. In our house, we don’t follow ‘traditional gender roles’, defined by society, and we ain’t startin’ now.

My husband and I take equal roles in caring for our household. You’ll see him cooking, cleaning and doing all aspects of taking care of the kids. And you’ll see me cutting the grass, taking care of the landscaping and working outside of the home. We both do whatever it takes to care for everyone in the house. We are a team, where both parents are equal. My daughter and son will see a strong, independent woman as an equal, both at home and professionally. Likewise, they will see a caring, active father, who provides for them in more than just a professional sense.

Come on society, it’s 2018, we are more than a color that we choose to wear. My son will wear pink and play dress up or pretend in the kitchen. He will do whatever he choses, just like my daughter…so get over the color pink already.