Elf on A Shelf?

I realize I have been slacking on this blog, and I promise to add our Thanksgiving/Christmas season pictures very soon. The busier each year gets, and the more shopping, decorating and celebrating I participate in the less I seem to focus on the real reason for the season.

We found out on Monday that one of Wyatt's precious teachers at school was killed in a tragic car accident last week. Miss Jessie was one of the kindest, most gentle person I had ever met, and she had a very special love for Wyatt. She will be deeply missed. This news really caused me to stop and think about all the things I take for granted on a daily basis, and how hard this time of year is for a lot of people. The commercialism and the gifts and the parties don't matter. I am so very, very blessed with family and friends and a good job and a home and the list goes on and on and on...

I want Wyatt to know and feel the joy that this time of year brings... and boy does he! He knows who Santa is, and that he is supposed to be good and that the Christmas tree is completely magical. He goes ape over the lights in our neighborhood and can't wait for his presents. I am so happy about this, and I can't wait for Christmas Day... but I also want him to know that we would have none of these things if it weren't for the birth of Jesus.

This year I have decided to forgo the "elf on a shelf" that so many people celebrate. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, and we may do it next year- but I just couldn't add one more "thing" to take away from what I feel our focus should be on. With Santa alone, I am struggling to help Wyatt understand the correlation between the fat man in the red suit and the babe in the manger. We play with his nativity set each night, we are singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and I may just get a cake as well. I hope that these traditions will instill in him what is really important.

Merry Christmas!