Oh, man am I glad to see this. I thought I was the only one having trouble figuring out what to blog about! I really need to update my personal blogs, but man - I Got Nothin, too!

Do you think it's the time of year? Maybe our heads are all too full of holiday stuff to process anything into a blog? Damn those visions of sugar plums!

LC Eileen

Definitely the time of year. Only, I don't think it's visions of sugar plums blocking any blog creativity, I think it's visions of January Credit Card statements and checkbook balances. 'Tis the season, and all.

Is it wrong that I want to totally avoid my husband's family this holiday season? Too Much Drama at the moment.

And the fact that, when we said that *we* would host Christmas this year, his mother said she supposed, although it would be easier if she did it. Easier for whom, I want to know. Because it's certainly not easy for *us*. We rip the kidlet away from his Santa presents each year to transport basketfuls of wrapped gifts to her house, where we all eat and then sit around forever before kidlet gets to open any presents. This is *not* "easier". She can haul her stuff to our house this year and kidlet can continue to enjoy his Santa presents and be amused until it's time to open presents.

/rant

Happens to us all, Eileen! And when in doubt - blog about the super duper basket giveaway! But no worries, sweetie - some days, it's just tough to blog!

Dia - it's not wrong to want to avoid your husband's family! Trust me, we've all got people we'd rather avoid...

Good point, Lani! Did I mention the adorable chinese food take-out box on the main page that everyone should click on to enter to win the fantabulous super duper exciting LC give away basket? Did I mention that Lani made the cute box appear? Could we also have a moment of appreciation for Alesia who put the basket together and photographed it and did all that stuff?

Yay, Alesia! Yay, Lani!

LC Eileen

LOVE this site. In fact, I'd say I'm addicted to it a bit. :)
Okay, got somethin'.
I'd love to know what your first impression of Santa was. Was it the story (and did you really buy it)? Was it the naughty/nice list? Was it the sudden redemption that came with learning of the naughty/nice list or did you try to bribe your way into niceness? And most importantly, what version of that story are you telling the kiddies?
I'm stumped. My little ones ask me if there's a Santa and (yikes!) I froze! I managed an "Oh, look! Isn't that your teacher over there?" but need ammo for next time. Because sure as Santa's got a puffy white beard, I know the question is coming again. Help!

I can't remember when I first learned about Santa and I definitely can't remember a time I ever believed in him. Growing up Jewish definitely kind of nixes the whole magic of Santa thing. Since my kids were born into a mixed marriage, we did the Santa thing. I'm pretty sure Thing Two believed until second grade and then someone at school told him.

LC Eileen

Dia - I'm with you. That's why, I won't travel on xmas. Why should my son have to leave his toys? That's BS. You either come to me, or we do the family thing on another date. That's the way my parents did it when we were kids and that's how it's going to be for me and mine.

Santa - Can't really remember what my first impression was. I was TOTALLY a believer, long story as to why tho. I told my son that Santa brings gifts to all the good boys and girls, but Santa only brings 3 gifts and he doesn't bring the "good stuff" (last year, Santa brought him a chair for his computer desk and two equally as benign gifts). When asked if Santa was "real", I just turned it back on him and ask him what he thought ;-)

As soon as the first child was born, I stopped travelling at Christmas. Did one horrible year of trying to hit all the family at the holidays, dragging baby, and I said never again. Santa comes here - visit us here if you want to see us. Unreasonable? Maybe. But way better for my kids.

Well, sadly my mother-in-law only lives a couple of miles from us so it's not really "travelling." But I am holding firm.

As far as Santa goes, the kidlet (7 and in 2nd grade) told me that he didn't believe in Santa any more. My response was to tell him a story about a friend of mine who said she didn't believe in Santa and therefore got NOTHING from the big guy for Christmas. So the next year she sent him a letter apologizing and got things again. Totally made up, of course, but I am not ready for him not to believe yet.

Dia--I SO hear you!! That was MY life for the first 10 years or so of the kidlets' lives! But it was worse for our kids--they didn't get to open ANY presents at home, only at grandma's house! That totally sucked--no early morning wake-up call, no cuddling in front of the fire watching their little eyes light up with each new toy. I finally told my hubby that we were opening OUR presents to OUR kids at home. Then later that day we could go to his mother's and open presents with the kids. It is SO much better now!

As for believing in Santa--my daughter TOTALLY believed in him for a long time, because she actually got to MEET him! The girls were about 4 and 6 years old. My aunt's sister and family moved to town and they had a good friend who played Santa for the kids. (He REALLY looked like Santa, too!) So she invited my girls over for a big Christmas party the week before Christmas. My oldest daughter had written Santa a letter, asking him for a cradle to replace the one her little sister accidently broke. I let her see me put the letter in the mailbox, but what she DIDN'T see was me taking it back out and giving it to my cousin.

Well, the big night comes and she and her sister are at the party and suddenly everyone hears jingle bells. And who comes through the door but Santa Claus! With a big bag of presents to boot. He hands them out, then looks around the room and spots my daughter. Calling her over, he puts her on his knee--and PULLS OUT HER LETTER!!!! My aunt says that her eyes got as big as saucers when she saw her letter!! He told her that he had looked all over his workshop for a new cradle, but the elves hadn't had time to make one yet, so he gave her a little wooden bed and told her a new cradle would be waiting for her at her aunt's house on Christmas Day.

When she came home, she was practically speechless--a rare thing for my child, let me tell you! It still makes me tear up when I remember the wonder on her little innocent face as she told me about meeting the real Santa Claus. There were even reindeer tracks in the garden and sled marks on the lawn--oh yeah, they did it up right!!

I don't care what anyone says--every kid should get the chance to believe in Santa--he is magic!! Just ask my daughter!