Advent Activity: The Magic of Christmas

I think we might have rather inadvertently started a new holiday custom:  Saint Nicholas visited last night, bringing the "Phineas and Ferb" holiday CD and two nutcrackers, Clara and the Mouse King.

From my quick reading, I know we should have actually put our shoes out the night before (in honor of the Bishop of Myra who secretly gave gifts, like coins in shoes left out), but this was just an experiment to show how kids in other countries celebrate (or at least used to, in that I'm not sure if there are any Christians, of those who celebrate holidays, who now don't do Dec. 25; I'll have to check.)

Bud pondered the experiment later as we waited for the bus, "Is magic real in the world?  Or it is all just a cartoon?"  Which I took to mean, "is it all not real?" since we often contrast live action with "not real" animation.  He moved on before I could address his mature musings.  Thankfully, because I'm not prepared to define magic.

There have been lots of questions this year about whether Santa is real.  Not real questions, not direct, just indirect musings that I have answered just as indirectly.  "Someone brings the presents."   Though, I did completely dispel the whole Elf-on-a-Shelf thing, because I don't like the tattling and material reward focus of that story, and told the kids outright that I was the one who moved the Elf and I'd be glad to keep moving it for a fun game as long as we understood that the story about flying to tattle to Santa so kids can or cannot get good gifts is made up.  I told them not to tell their friends, though, because some families like the Elf story and we wanted them to have that magic. I know, playing with fire. And they understood and are still perfectly happy to play with the Elf.

And just when I think, because of their questions (and my risky Elf move), they are toying with belief, they really truly embrace that Saint Nick was here last night, happening upon our shoes out in the rain even though we'd never put shoes out before, moving them indoors, filling them, and even loading our iPod with the new CD immediately so we could play it this morning.  It's the faith of childhood.  And it's beautiful.

Yes, Bud, magic is real in the world.