festive

In honor of the first of December, I thought I would deck Mary Grace out for the occasion. Because really, is there anything cuter than red English sandals?

The Allison household is in full-fledged Christmas mode these days, and it feels so good. The tree is up, the mantel is decorated, and the kids’ Christmas books are within easy reach… but I decided to stop there and spare myself the added stress of overdoing the decorations this year. Where our decor may lack, though, we will surely make up for it in spirit. After too many years of feeling rushed and frazzled, Matt and I have pledged to take time to really soak in the season. My personal goal is to keep it simple but meaningful. To make it memorable but not overdo the frivolous. And of course, I still am seeking out the “Real Santa” in these parts. As I have mentioned before, the Real Santa had always resided in Richmond, and I keep thinking there must surely be a local substitute. Any tips of this one from locals?

We don’t shun the idea of Santa in our home. I know this can be a controversial issue in some Christian circles, but I think Dobson says it well:

“I don’t believe that those early, early fantasies really interfere with later spiritual beliefs. I haven’t seen any evidence of that, either in the life of my kids or in the lives of those I have had anything to do with. To allow a little bit of fantasy in a child’s life enriches his intellectual life and I think he needs it. Children thrive on fantasy. It enriches our mental existence. Reality can be a pretty cold and hard place. I think children need the fantasy that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and other childhood mythical creatures bring.”

Of course, like anything, a balance must be struck here. Sure, we’re going to take the kids to see Santa, and Carson has his heart set on leaving the jolly old man plenty of cookies and milk on Christmas Eve, but we are trying our hardest to inundate our children with the message of God coming to Earth as flesh and how that changes everything. We are going to try to steal some time every evening from now until Christmas to talk about the reason we celebrate Christmas. I have such rich memories of celebrating the Christmas season as a young girl, and I want so badly for the season to be just as magical for my own children.

Happy December, everyone! Soak in everything this festive month has to offer.