Santa and the Pidwidgen

I love Christmas traditions - decorating the tree, making/frosting sugar cookies, lighting candles for Advent, hanging stockings, and lots more. This year has been even more fun now that Raccoon is old enough to join in. He doesn't stay on task long, but it gives me a glimpse of years to come.

One of my favorite family traditions is Advent. My mom would wrap a little something for my brother and I to open each night, along with reading us something special. One year, she pulled out a newspaper story that she'd cut out as a child called Santa and the Pidwidgen. It's just a silly story about how Santa Claus supposedly came to be, but my brother and I loved it. Sitting around the tree, listening to her voice and laughing together, it was magical. Years ago, my mom made a copy for me and I have kept it in my Christmas box ever since.

This year, with Raccoon's new love of stories, I thought it would be the perfect time to start. So far, we've followed Claus far from his home to the Sopchoppy Ferry and to Elfland, where he's picked up a sidekick, Patrick Tweedleknees. Tomorrow he faces a giant.

I don't really have a point, I just wanted to share a happy Christmas memory from the past and the one in the making.

Edited to add: I Can Teach My Child had a guest post today from 1+1+1=1 (the same place where I link up my homeschool blog for Tot School) about Favorite Family Traditions. Jenae says, "I firmly believe that traditions help shape our children’s memories of their childhood and draw us closer together as a family." Aha! I knew there was a reason Santa and the Pidwidgen deserved a post.