The Clause

Yesterday my boys had their annual "Train Day" with the in-laws.  Every year, my in-laws take the boys to the train exhibit at the North Park Mall in Dallas.  For my boys, anything having to do with trains is the equivalent to going to Disney Land.  They love trains.  They have tons of trains.  They watch train shows.  They have train books.  Did I say that they love trains?

Anyway, to mark the momentous occasion of the annual trek to Dallas, my mother-in-law bought our boys The Polar Express.  I have to confess that I had never seen the entire movie myself, so I was pretty excited about the movie too.  So yesterday afternoon, when I got home from a litigation meeting at work, my son and I curled up on the couch together and watched The Polar Express.  It was mesmerizing.  How in the world have I not seen this movie before?!

My little guy really liked the movie too, but he completely didn't understand why reindeers needed to pull a bag of presents on the sleigh.  And he was really curious why all the children and elves in the movie wanted to see Santa Clause.  It occurred to me mid-movie that my son had NO IDEA who Santa Clause is!  In fact, when Santa walked out to visit with the elves and children in the movie my son was in awe.  He just kept saying, "The Clause is so big."  He decided that he kind of likes The Clause now.

The Clause just hasn't been a part of our Christmas celebration before.  Our family celebrates Jesus' birthday every year.  My son is really on board with having a month-long birthday party for Jesus where everyone in our neighborhood joins in by hanging lights on their houses.  We've never really attempted to fit Santa Clause into our Christmas.  (Hence the blank stare he gives people when they ask what he wants Santa to bring him.) 

So I guess this year, if you ask my little guy about The Clause, just be prepared for him to give you a religious-sounding explanation about a nice old man who celebrates Jesus' birthday by bringing presents to children.  I'm sure I can fit The Clause into our birthday celebration somehow.  But let us parents not forget, this holiday is about Baby Jesus--the best gift that any child could receive.