A Different Christmas Story

A Christmas tradition from my wife's family, we let the kids open one present each on Christmas eve. I would select something, usually small, from the pile for each child, and they would open it before bedtime.

This year, my 7 year-old son unwrapped his early gift to find a, ummm, surprise: A statuette of Jesus, from Sr. Faustina's vision of the Divine Mercy.


I held my breath a moment.

"How am I supposed to play with this, his arms don't even move" Sam said, getting simultaneously teary and agitated. Merry Christmas, from my parents, I thought to myself."Look, Sam, He's got red and blue lasers coming from His Heart," I said,"like one of those big, Japanese monsters." I tried to comfort him, but he fumed and raved for quite a while, wondering what grandma and pépère were thinking.

Eventually, I thought I'd shuffle everyone off to bed. "Alright, Sam, let me put this up on the shelf to keep it from getting broken," I said, taking the much-maligned gift." Wait, no," Sam said,"I want Him up in my bunk, where He'll be close to me." So, Sam made a small shrine up in his bunk, and set up the statuette of Jesus near his pillow.

I guess that it's something to think about, next time God gives us something that we're not asking for at the time.

Heck, I wanted a new set of golf clubs for Christmas, and instead, I got a lesson about faith and expectations.

St. Jimbob Can Party!

Holiday Q&A

So tagged by da Clam Rampant

Getting To Know You Holiday Edition
Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends! You know the drill. Don't be a scrooge!!!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate, made with hot coffee, so it's more like a po' boy mocha.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? We're doing an experiment, being of a hippie nature when it comes to consumerism, and we're wrapping presents in colored fabric this year. No tape, no tearing, no waste.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I'm a bit pedestrian in my tastes, and prefer coloured lights. Mrs. St. Jimbob prefers white lights, as do all the lawyers, bankers, legislative aspirants, and legislative has-beens on our street. I like my coloured lights, and everyone else can sod off.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Um, what's missile-toe, some Air Force ground crew ailment? I can see how dropping a Sidewinder on your foot could have repercussions.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Day after turkey day, more to work off the tryptophan than any other reason.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? A good savory, cornbread stuffing/dressing.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Watching the Muppet Christmas Special, with John Denver, with 2 siblings, while my aunt gave my mother a manicure. Oh yeah, mom was timing contractions at the time.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? It's foggy, but I remember sneaking to the top of the stairs, and creeping down while my parents were wrapping/placing presents.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I try not to, but I'm lousy at impulse control, and with the kids keening to get ripping, it's hard to resist.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I wind lights around it, stream a dozen colourful ribbons down the sides, like a huge may pole, then let people hang other ornaments on it.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? It's alright, but I'd rather be able to play golf.

12. Can you ice skate? It depends on what you mean by skate. If falling down a lot counts, I'm a pro.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A car key, on a key ring featuring an electric guitar, when I was 16.

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Trying to repel the materialist frenzy and remind my family not only about the gift of Jesus, but also why we so desperately need Him.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Nugat cookies. Even as I say it, I feel both glee and repulsion. I hate carbs, and I hate that I love carbs so.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Mass, because everyone sings for once.

17. What tops your tree? A red velvet bow.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? It's a draw, especially when I'm giving clever or funny gifts.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? 'Adeste Fidelis', otherwise known as 'O Come All Ye Faithful' to the non-latin crowd.

20. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Eh, I'm partial to chocolate myself, but a candy cane isn't too bad. The funky flavors can be fun as well.

21. Favorite Christmas movie? 'Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol' for the cartoon lot, and 'A Christmas Carol' with either George C. Scott or Patrick Stewart for serious film.

22. What do you leave for Santa? My credit card bill.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!...or Advent, anyway!

Santa v. Jesus

Yes, It's that time of year again, when parents cringe when turning on the telly, or going to the mall, or even getting the mail. We are beset by advertisements, enticements to avarice and discontent, and all under the smiling visage of 'Santa Claus'. It's hard enough for adults to keep a clear head between Halloween and New Years, but how do we keep our kids focused on Christ for Christmas?

In past years, I said nothing of Santa, or as age demanded more details, I told my kids the history of St. Nicholas. But, being now in school, they're surrounded by kids with other notions of Christmas. Call me a grinch, but I'm not inclined to tell my kids that an ancient saint is going to bring them the things they ask for, as seen in the latest 'Toys-R-Us' advert. I'd rather have the Incarnation be the focus of our festivities, rather than the consumerism.

And, by the by, the Chinese are positioned, once again, to make a killing on our fiscal incontinence. I wonder if anyone sees the irony in the primary color of holiday trappings as being Red.

Parents out there, what do you do?