Santa's not scary - he's a good man...
Well it has been a long time between blogger drinks. I have a resolution not to make resolutions but if I did it would be to be a better blogger. I will try, especially as this blog is getting a complete overhaul in the next wee while.
I do have a tiny excuse for the lack of blogging:
This little peanut has given me a run for my money and much more morning sickness than I ever had with Poppy Cate. Everyone says that's because I am having a boy but I will believe that when I see it because I come from a long line of women who have many more girls than boys :)
We are now 18 weeks and I am feeling a bit better than I was, although the tiredness lingers much more so than with Poppy. Is that because I have a 2 year old in the house???
Speaking of 2 year olds... We had our first really exciting Christmas this year with Poppy understanding the whole concept for the first time. It was lovely really, getting caught up in her excitment, countless renditions of jingle bells complete with hand gestures (Thanks Miss Jacqui!), and christmas hat wearing.
Our only problem seemed to be Santa himself. Poppy was happy to see the jolly man on TV, in books, and to sing about him in songs but one whiff or glance of him out of the corner of her eye and she became a quivering mess, rooted to the spot and unable to walk any further. Shopping trips were spent negotiating a course through the centres that wouldn't take us past the man in red. Believe me my daughter has the eyes of a hawk and this was no meant feat! Needless to say a photo with Santa was not on our agenda this year...
It made me sad. It wasn't that I wanted Poppy to be completely won over by the commercial side of Christmas, but it made me sad to think that my poor wee girl was truly terrified of something that she really needn't be scared of at all.
Faced with the prospect of the daycare Christmas party, DJ and I started planting a seed in Poppy's head: "Santa's not scary... He's a good man". We wrote a letter to Santa; she asked for a Makka Pakka (a TV character for those not in the know) and for the sick children on the TV advert that always makes her cry to get better. We read books about Santa, drew Santa and sang more songs about Santa and his reindeer. Even my family got in on the mantra and Pa spent time talking with Poppy about how great Santa is; "Santa's not scary... He's a good man".
The day of the Christmas party came and we got dressed up in our 'party dress' and went to daycare. As soon as the words "Santa's here" rang in Poppy's ears along with the sound of his bell she clutched onto me like her life depended on it. I tried to get out into the hall so we could see his arrival and prepare her but she latched her talons around the door frame and refused to be budged. So we retreated to the back of the room, as far away from Santa's chair as we could get. She settled for a while when Santa went into the Babies room, but then the bell announced his arrival into her room and she immediately attempted a pole vault over my head to the safety of outside.
I reassured her and told her to that she didn't have to go anywhere near Santa; that we would stay at the back of the room and watch the other children get their presents and her teacher would bring hers down to her. It did seem to help watching the other children get their gifts and sit with Santa without then being struck down by some awful incident. While she was still very tense, she was much calmer.
I could hear her whispering to herself and when I got within earshot realised that she was trying to reassure herself by saying over and over again "Santa's not scary... He's a good man". I am not sure that I have ever held her tighter than I did in that moment.
It seemed to help. Though she still did not go anywhere near him she did manage a shy smile, a wave and a quiet thank you when Miss Jacqui brought her down her gift. She also managed, after that, to stand at the fence in the shopping centre and watch while children had their photos taken with Santa. She even waved when Santa caught sight of her and rang his bell and waved. Maybe next year she will be even less scared.
So that was the theme of Christmas 2008 I guess. Poppy got great gifts from Santa - a kitchen, just like her big cousins Ethan and Ellis and Makka Pakka of course, because Santa is, afterall, a good man...
Poppy's other wish is a longer term one I think but if you have a spare few dollars this year I am sure the Children's Hospitals could really use it!
I will post some pics of Christmas later in the day because if I wait to post this it may be another 4 months before I do!
I hope the New Year is being good to you all.
Fran x
I do have a tiny excuse for the lack of blogging:
This little peanut has given me a run for my money and much more morning sickness than I ever had with Poppy Cate. Everyone says that's because I am having a boy but I will believe that when I see it because I come from a long line of women who have many more girls than boys :)
We are now 18 weeks and I am feeling a bit better than I was, although the tiredness lingers much more so than with Poppy. Is that because I have a 2 year old in the house???
Speaking of 2 year olds... We had our first really exciting Christmas this year with Poppy understanding the whole concept for the first time. It was lovely really, getting caught up in her excitment, countless renditions of jingle bells complete with hand gestures (Thanks Miss Jacqui!), and christmas hat wearing.
Our only problem seemed to be Santa himself. Poppy was happy to see the jolly man on TV, in books, and to sing about him in songs but one whiff or glance of him out of the corner of her eye and she became a quivering mess, rooted to the spot and unable to walk any further. Shopping trips were spent negotiating a course through the centres that wouldn't take us past the man in red. Believe me my daughter has the eyes of a hawk and this was no meant feat! Needless to say a photo with Santa was not on our agenda this year...
It made me sad. It wasn't that I wanted Poppy to be completely won over by the commercial side of Christmas, but it made me sad to think that my poor wee girl was truly terrified of something that she really needn't be scared of at all.
Faced with the prospect of the daycare Christmas party, DJ and I started planting a seed in Poppy's head: "Santa's not scary... He's a good man". We wrote a letter to Santa; she asked for a Makka Pakka (a TV character for those not in the know) and for the sick children on the TV advert that always makes her cry to get better. We read books about Santa, drew Santa and sang more songs about Santa and his reindeer. Even my family got in on the mantra and Pa spent time talking with Poppy about how great Santa is; "Santa's not scary... He's a good man".
The day of the Christmas party came and we got dressed up in our 'party dress' and went to daycare. As soon as the words "Santa's here" rang in Poppy's ears along with the sound of his bell she clutched onto me like her life depended on it. I tried to get out into the hall so we could see his arrival and prepare her but she latched her talons around the door frame and refused to be budged. So we retreated to the back of the room, as far away from Santa's chair as we could get. She settled for a while when Santa went into the Babies room, but then the bell announced his arrival into her room and she immediately attempted a pole vault over my head to the safety of outside.
I reassured her and told her to that she didn't have to go anywhere near Santa; that we would stay at the back of the room and watch the other children get their presents and her teacher would bring hers down to her. It did seem to help watching the other children get their gifts and sit with Santa without then being struck down by some awful incident. While she was still very tense, she was much calmer.
I could hear her whispering to herself and when I got within earshot realised that she was trying to reassure herself by saying over and over again "Santa's not scary... He's a good man". I am not sure that I have ever held her tighter than I did in that moment.
It seemed to help. Though she still did not go anywhere near him she did manage a shy smile, a wave and a quiet thank you when Miss Jacqui brought her down her gift. She also managed, after that, to stand at the fence in the shopping centre and watch while children had their photos taken with Santa. She even waved when Santa caught sight of her and rang his bell and waved. Maybe next year she will be even less scared.
So that was the theme of Christmas 2008 I guess. Poppy got great gifts from Santa - a kitchen, just like her big cousins Ethan and Ellis and Makka Pakka of course, because Santa is, afterall, a good man...
Poppy's other wish is a longer term one I think but if you have a spare few dollars this year I am sure the Children's Hospitals could really use it!
I will post some pics of Christmas later in the day because if I wait to post this it may be another 4 months before I do!
I hope the New Year is being good to you all.
Fran x
Labels: Our Life
posted by lumin-essence at
3:01 PM
6 Comments:
Congratulations!!
Awww, santa is a good man ... next year will be a different story, I promise! Good to see ya posting again... and btw, it's the GIRLS that produce this much morning sickness, I swear!!! Someone told me it's more female hormones than your body can handle... and you know, I think they were right! ;) lol
Congrats on the new babe.
Congrats on the baby!! :)
that's gotta be the best shot I've seen all day!
awesome!
congrats
I was MUCH sicker with the girls Fran...and having a toddler doesn't help in the least. Try to rest honey. Your Santa story made my eyes sting for some reason, I must be having a sooky day. Poor Poppy, I hope once you go ahead and give birth to the jolly fella she'll ease up a bit :p
S x
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