just one more week

so it's the count down week here in lily class. yep christmas vacation is just around the corner and i've got everything all decorated. the hallway outside has been changed. all the kids have made ornaments for our tree, colored candy canes for the door, and we've even made a hand wreath to go around our window! they're really excited for the christmas party. santa is visiting. of course what child at the age of six doesn't get excited about christmas?! you forget that level of excitement after the 'long hard years' (giggle) without santa, and being around children only makes it more important keeping the secret... now i understand what conflicts my parents went through!!!
anyways, we've read the polar express, watched the movie, and even wrote to santa telling him what we wanted. i explained to them that if we didn't mail letters santa, wouldn't know what to get them, they each even made santa a shopping card (essentially a tiny pocket sized picture of what they wanted so he'd be able to find it or make it! something my mom had us do as children)... so, i sent a copy of each 'child's' letter home to the parents. then i encouraged the parents to put their own 'santa' letters in the gifts that they would open during the christmas party.
almost everyday after 'mailing' the letters, the friday week before the party, many of the kids would come up to me asking if santa got the letter. i kept telling them they would find out soon enough!!! i was thrilled when each parent hand wrote on a card or paper a reply letter to each of their children. it made the day just that much more thrilling for the kids who were really looking forward to it. a great classroom christmas' i've seen here in korea.

letters to santa, complete with colored envelopes and addresses

candy-cane door and wreath

no standing tree, but we had to have something!!! so i made one and then they made ornaments for it and on the day of the party we sang carols and put a star on the top!

our hallway wall

so with just a few days to go before i board the airplane home for my first christmas in a couple years, i have reminisced the childhood excitement of preparing for that day, but this time with a little bit of the bitter-sweetness an adult has of knowing the truth and for myself knowing that stephen will be here by himself though the holidays.

family is just around the corner, and sure we'll see how things are there. it's been a while, and it's bound to be difficult going back for just a short time. it'll be worth it and i think for me it's bringing back that feeling of excitement that christmas misses once you realize magic doesn't exist. as grown-up my magic has become airplanes and skype. hopefully i can close the gap between childhood and adulthood for just a little while.

merry christmas and happy holidays. x