[Stitcher]

How to ensure that Rudolph sees your home and stops in:

"This is Glitter Reindeer Food. You must sprinkle it on your lawn before you go to bed on Christmas Eve. The food sparkles and the reindeer will be sure to see it and stop at your home."

My 3rd grader granddaughter brought a small bag home that I almost tossed in the trash a few days ago. It has what appeared to me to be a badly crushed oatmeal cookie. NOT!! I didn't toss it, but put it on the kitchen counter while I was going through lunch boxes, tosses left overs after school. My granddaughter appeared and snatched it up, then explained the attached note ...above...and why it was of such great importance.

Hummm...what do grandma's know

The bag contained oatmeal and glitter mixed together. The note above was attached.

Oh yes, and after the vegetables and very large container of water for the reindeer's snack was placed on the living room table, and the snack for Santa was placed along side, the reindeer food was scattered on the front lawn.

[Stitcher]

And I forgot to add that this granddaughter wrote a letter to Santa two weeks ago. The letter has been on the refrigerator door since then.

"Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a sleigh bell from your sleigh. I have tried to be nice. If you don't leave the bell I will understand."

So, there was my son in law tonight, out in the cold winter backyard with a glistening sleigh bell rubbing it in the dirt and grass trying to "age" the bell so that it would look at though it has seen many sleigh rides.

How sad will be the day when she becomes old enough to supect that maybe there isn't a Santa, but gladly she is not there yet.

[GregD]

Carolyn,
Enjoy it while you can. As you know, they grow up way too fast.
We have been putting the "Reindeer Food" on the front lawn for the last 14 years. Rudy and the boys haven't missed our house yet. I hope you didn't forget the nine carrots, and cookies and milk for Santa????

[Stitcher]

Greg, not only was there cookies, milk in the third-generation Santa cup, along with carrots for Santa to eat. But, there were also, carrots and celery for the reindeer and a huge bucket of water.

All were dutifully taken care of my mom and dad, and there was very little water left after the reindeer were done drinking it. My granddaughter (8 yrs) was elated when she discovered the water was almost gone, "Look, the glitter food worked, the reindeer drank the water."

Isn't it amazing how the simple things can make the biggest lasting impression. She will remember this next December and when the day comes that she realizes, as we all sadly do, that Santa is not who she thought he was, she will carry these kinds of memories into her own family one day.

The she started to go through the contents of the stocking and found two sleigh bells. It went like this:

She touched them and her eyes lite up.
She drew them out of the stocking.
She jumped up and down, "He left me the sleigh bells, and look, they are used, they have scratches on them." Of course, the latter gleeful comment was due to the work my son in law did in the yard making them look scratched and old.

Then...
She found a folded piece of paper parchment paper in her stocking.
She drew that out and began to read it to herself, then, "Santa wrote me a letter," and she read the letter out loud. It was a response from Santa, to her letter to him, about the bells.

Her dad is an English professor and an highly published writer, so you can rest assured the letter sounded very authentic and the font he used just made it all the better.

I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a memorable and happy day, especially the grandparents.

Next Stop!

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[GregD]

Carolyn,
I’m glad all the efforts worked out to give your granddaughter the Christmas of her life. I think every child should be able to experience that at least once during childhood. It’s how they are handled after they find out that can be a problem. They need to see the love in the efforts put forth to understand that jolly ol’ elf lives in all of our hearts and minds. They need to know it is better to give than receive. The need to know the real reason we celebrate as Christians is due to the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

GregD

[Ronhutton]

Hi Carolyn,
On Xmas Eve, my wife and I were talking about the visit of our 3 married "children" and our 5 grandchildren on Xmas Day. I asked where my Santa hat was, and she went and got it. Things just moved on from there. I said I need my red dressing gown now, and she said she had something better. She came back with a red suit that she had bought years ago, and had never worn it. I put that on, and said I now needed a beard. We cut up an A4 card into the shape of a large beard and moustache, with a hole for the mouth. Then a coating of glue, and we covered it in cotton wool.
On Xmas day, I slipped upstairs and put this lot on. I came down with all the presents in a sack over my shoulder, with a few Ho Ho's thrown in. The grand children range from 1 to 9, and I think I fooled all but the 9 year old. The things you end up doing for kids!!!
Ron

[K Hamilton]

Ron:

We just think we are doing it for the kids - in reality we are doing it so we can remember and relive the magic for ourselves!

[mamafigure]

I count myself very lucky. For the first time, all of my living children are home foro Christmas, including two grandchildren.

In addition, my youngest, whom you all know by my posts, still believes in Santa. She is nearly 20, but looks like a preteen, and will probably believe forever. What a miracle.

Christmas is the biggest thing at our house...and has always been. Santa always comes, and even surprises me after all of these years.

If only the magic lasted all year, but I will be grateful for these few days.

mama

[wendy s]

We still all hang our stocking, all 20 of us, at my mother-in-laws. We trade names, and the idea is how full you can stuff it for $10.00, give or take a little. We each put something in the two little believer's stockings, and it's fun to find something magical. Nearly all of the stockings are decorated felt ones, how elaborate the decorations are depends on how busy Grandma was that year - one year she had three new grand-children at once. The oldest ones are about 55 yrs. old, and the newest is 2, all carefully packed away after each Xmas. The grandchildren were let in on the secret at age 13, and took their new chore very seriously. I value family and traditions more each passing year!