Yes, St. Nick made a stop at my house, despite the fact that my children are just a few months from turning 13, 15 and 18. I personally don’t believe you can be too old for magic.
Okay, they don’t actually believe in St. Nick. But perhaps it really is time to put the kibosh on this annual celebration. After all, who puts in requests for St. Nick items? My children do.
Still…I have so much fun filling those stockings. But with the way some attitudes had been going around, I was threatening to cancel St. Nick. Then at one point I told my youngest son that he would likely find nothing more than coal in his stocking.
My 17-year-old asked, “Well, can we at least still get some candy?” It was his subtle way of letting me know that this is one tradition he isn’t ready to give up yet.
So early Tuesday morning I filled their stockings—with lots of candy, new earplugs for their iPods and gift cards to redeem Xbox points or to shop at the iTunes store. I even relived old memories by singing out to each of my children as I woke them, “Somebody broke into our house last night and he was wearing a red and white suit.” You could tell they were trying not to smile.
My youngest is probably the most eager about this sort of thing. Of course, his love language is definitely gift giving, so you could buy him anything and he would be happy. It wasn’t long before all three had emptied their stockings and popped some chocolate in their mouths. Great breakfast treat before heading off to school.
I don’t know if I will ever stop enjoying this tradition in our family. My daughter has a couple of girlfriends who get jealous every year that we do this. They wish their families would. Maybe I’m just trying to hold onto the past…but for now, the St. Nick tradition will continue in this house.
Related Articles:
Diffusing Family Drama during the Holidays