"Christmas IS for Kids"

When PinF was a kid Christmas was always a special time. And as quickly my mother would begin hiding the gifts, my brothers and I would begin to run reconnaissance snooping missions, trying to discover anything we could. My father on the otherhand would seemingly go about his business as usual, going to work and coming home, not really seeming affected by the season. His standard mantra throughout the holiday season was "Christmas is for kids", almost Grinch-ingly begrudging the joy we as children had for the holiday. He was into it and all, just a bit jaded I guess.

Sure enough as I have become a father myself, I can kind of find a kinship with these sentiments, since Christmas has become even more of a commercial barrage than it ever was when I was a kid. Truth be told, if I didn't have a child I'm not sure I'd even have a tree this year. PinF is preparing to celebrate his first Christmas in a long time as a single man again, something I'm actually OK with, instead worrying more for my daughter's welfare as she prepares to go through this holiday season with "her" family split and her parents in two different houses.

So all last this week and last, Sophia has been with me full-time as her mother visits her family abroad, not exactly an easy task, what with preparing lunches, ironing her uniforms for school, doing her homework, cooking dinner, giving baths (taming her wild hair afterwards), and then waking her up, preparing breakfast, doing her hair (I'm getting better everyday). All of this while trying to get myself ready, and timing it all perfect so as to get her to school in time enough to allow me the time to get to work. Phew. The point? We spend hours talking, playing, doing homework, and talking. Lately the majority of our talks have revolved around---you guessed it, Christmas.

So Monday I pick up my little chatty Cathy and she's totally aglow having just gotten her first report card with grades as opposed to the checkmarks that are used in 1st grade. Pride doesn't quite describe how I felt when I saw the 4-A's and 1-B on her report card. My pride was secondary to my joy in seeing her sense of achievement and accomplishment as a result of her study habits and discipline, not to mention the extra work we put into her math studies (B). Coincidentally enough when I picked her up at her friend's parent's that Monday afternoon they had just purchased their tree (Nov. 28), this wasn't going to bode well with my avoiding the onset of the holiday. All the way home she peppered me with "when can we get our tree" , with me responding "maybe this week-end". Truth is, I wasn't really in any hurry to be buying trees when we're still in November, not to mention I just wasn't feeling it as of late. Today I realized this was selfish and narrow-minded, and wasn't taking into account her excitement for the holiday season.

So today I just felt like I should get the damn tree and started remembering what it was like when I was a kid and just how excited you do get, not to mention I was still feeling chuffed over her report card and figured she deserved a treat. As soon as I picked her up I drove straight to the tree stand without saying a word, as we approached she figured out it was "time" and you could see her face lighting up, and the closer we got to the trees the more I was excited to let her pick whichever one she wanted. Afterall, this has been a tough year on everyone-- especially her, so I wanted to see her happy and if she wanted a tree on the last day in November-- than so be it. We then had to buy a stand, lights and a whole host of peripherals. Sophia was beaming, and I was feeling pretty smart myself. When we got home, she did her homework while I cooked dinner and I had a feeling so I asked her to check the TV guide to see what was on, and guess what was? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Talk a bout a time warp, how weird is it to sit and watch the very show I would watch year in and year out as a child with my brothers. These shows to children are such a part of the whole holiday season. So there we sat eating our ice cream, watching a show I must have seen at least 20 times in my life, with the Douglas Fir wafting throughout the house.

My dad was right, Christmas is for kids. What he didn't tell us was that there's a kid in all of us, no matter how old you are. And so for about an hour I was a kid again with Sophia, remembering the days many years ago sitting in Drexel Hill with my brothers just as she will one day remember these times as her memories. So PinF has officially begun his Christmas season courtesy of the gentle, persistent, prodding of his "kid". PinF is all the more thankful for Sophia having reminded me that Christmas is for kids, and that as adults we have to remember this and not get caught up in our own day-to-day distractions. So bring on The Grinch and Frosty, I'm ready now.