Christmas Thoughts

I have mentioned before how I am a little ambivalent about the whole Christmas thing. I mean I like the lights and holiday specials on television, but the overall consumerist nightmare gets to me. Plus, while I am vaguely religious, Chris really isn't anymore. So it doesn't even make sense in our house to focus on the birth of Jesus as the reason for the season. If anything, I can get down with the Solstice - celebrating the return of light over darkness, yes, please (and this thought of course can be carried over into the nativity story). Santa is a whole different issue. I don't feel right about totally ignoring him - he's everywhere, but we're not into the whole naughty and nice thing either.

Milo has seemed to pick up on all these mixed emotions and messages. Thinking it would be a good segue into Christmas, I bought an Elf on the Shelf book and figurine. At first Milo was excited about it, but as we started reading the book together his face got darker and darker until he ripped the book out of Chris' hands and threw it. What was I thinking? Milo doesn't like Santa and here we were reading him a book about an Elf who was going to live with us and spy on him in order to report back to Santa. It's messed up.

Today another Christmas hang up happened. We were grocery shopping when Milo saw a train set. Ensue 35 minutes of crying his eyes about wanting the train. I tried to patiently explain we weren't getting it. He would hopefully cry that maybe we would get it next time. And then the cashier said maybe he would get it on Christmas if he was good. Seriously?

So now Christmas is all about getting presents and according to Milo it is also when Buzz Lightyear comes. So, yep, I think that pretty covers my thoughts on the matter.