What Makes Me a Guardian

"What does Santa look like naked?"

"Is God allowed in Santa's secret hideout?"

"How stinky does Santa get?"

The Santa questions are flying in our house! 

Davis may be mildly obsessed, but he comes by the fascination honestly!

I have to confess...

Santa Claus is the patron Saint of my heart.

I love him.

Like my own Fairy Godfather, or the Holy Spirit -- twinkle-twinkle! -- he is with me...all year round.

Maybe because I'm still a kid at heart, and in some surreal way I still believe in magic...

I shed tears in Christmas movies when Santa pulls it off.

...plus I have a 'thing' for supreme, omnipotent, benevolent Father figures :)

Let me tell you, I have never seen a more inspiring rendition of Santa than the buff Bolshevik in the animated film, "Rise of the Guardians."

Santa is mentoring Jack Frost, helping him find his mojo as a Guardian.  He shows him a set of russian nesting dolls, with a wide-eyed baby as the innermost doll.  

Here, Santa reveals his truest, deepest self:

"At my center....look closer, what do you see...

Big eyes, very big, because they are full of wonder!  

That is my center.

It is what I was born with -- eyes that have always seen the wonder in everything.

Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air.

This wonder is what I put into the world and what I protect in children.

It is what makes me a Guardian.

It is my center.

What is yours?"

What a fantastic question!!

I can't think of a better question to ask one's self.

In fact, I can't think of a better answer either.

Santa and I are symbiotic souls, because Wonder is my center too.

This WONDER 

is what I put into the world 

and what I protect in children.

This could be my mission statement. 

You will find it is a common theme in my blogs.

As I have been going about my Christmas shopping this year, I have been extra reflective...

Asking, "what is it I am really trying to give?"

Two things keep coming to mind.

Things you can't directly purchase or wrap.

Wonder and Gratitude.

The twin engines 

of the life 

I wish 

for my children.  

But have you ever contemplated how tricky it is to give the gift of Gratitude?

It is more of an artform really....you cultivate the conditions where Gratitude grows best, and give the example of your own thank-filled heart.

I find it exciting that at Christmas, as expectations rise higher and the culture around us is frothing up, we have a heightened opportunity to create, affirm, and reinforce the values that are important to us.

My evidence suggests that a little 'magical underwhelm' is more conducive to generating Gratitude and Wonder than the big spree-and-sprawl under the tree.

So I thought I'd share a few more tricks of the trade, and some pictures of my recent finds!

These I picked up yesterday from a local kid, selling his old toys for $5 each on Kijiji.  The digger is fully operational; I nearly pooped jellybeans!  I love my job!

My Antique Mall run uncovered a few treasures too:

 a pipe organ for the gnomes,

an antique cash register --

for endless variations of playing 'store,'

a cool long boat,

also conveniently gnome sized

and a cute little saw, sturdy and promising,

that should perfectly fit my 7 year old's 

skilled hands and marvellous plans.

A picnic basket of yarn and needles.

~~~

Here is the Principle:

"Better is a handful of quietness

than two hands full of toil

and chasing after the wind"

-ecclesiastes 4:6

"Better is a dry morsel,

and quietness therewith,

than a houseful of sacrifices

with strife."

-proverbs 17:1

For me, it is about the thoughtful pursuit of the sweet spot -- just the right amount of gifts, chosen with care and intent, preferring quality over quantity.

It's not really about boycotting plastic, although that's a good rule of thumb :)

It is about finding the optimal balance of delight...before it teeters over into indulgence.

One friend of mine said,

"I like to think long and hard 

about what they receive.  

Will it be loved and played 

with over and over?"

And another:

"we are soooo far down the rabbit hole of crappy toys, but I take pride that my boys have always had a homemade gift from me."

I celebrate when a family can mindfully arrive at their unique and insightful way.  

When you find your sweet spot, you will know it!

Another consideration:  What produces the most JOY and THANKS in your own heart? Isn't it those times when someone absolutely nails your true desire?  When they hit your target dead on?

That is worth a lot of meditative sleuthing -- figuring out who your children really are, and finding the gift that magnifies that in them.

It's not a simple task, but priceless.

Sometimes I go after the symbol or the essence of the thing...finding an item that conveys kindness, creativity, beauty, mystery, mastery....whatever I wish to evoke.

All of my Santa gifts convey one message very clearly: "You my child, are as utterly unique as this gift; you are not one of a million cheap factory made things.  You are a treasure."

The soul effort I put into it...that is what they feel.

Have you ever felt the delicious vibration in the air when you walk through an Antique Mall?  

Do you know what that is? 

It's the buzz of appreciative love -- the care taken by real people over so many years; the hundreds of times these items were handled delicately, used meaningfully, enjoyed gratefully, cherished and kept for generations.

I feel such reverence in these places...and best of all -- I have felt that very spirit come home in the toys, infused into the rough wood and faded fabric...(probably lead paint too, but oh well, they aren't eating it!)

In a mysterious way, I am literally giving them gifts of wonder and gratitude because the toys are alive with it.  

I've seen the awe in their faces, and I've seen how they treat the items reverently for years to come.

I have a few more ideas for you.  Two of my favourite things in our house.

The Bean Box:

Buy some bulk rice, chickpeas, mung beans, kidney beans, whatever you like.  Then furnish with thrift store utensils and dishes.

The Play Kitchen:

Forget all those pre-fab kitchen sets!  A truly soulful kitchen is easy to assemble from garage sales, grandmas' basements, flea markets, and the occasional higher price antique. 

Ingredients are the magic!  Most of this cabinet came from the Re-use Centre over time (even the shelf).  Get cheap, unique necklaces at Value Village and cut the thread, raid old board games for checkers and jacks, crochet yarn circles for great tomatoes, use puffs of white roving for milk......

My daughter has cooked endlessly with this stuff, and most wonderfully of all, after all the mixing, she sorts the ingredients back out into their containers, religiously.

Final tips:

Be creative.  Make stuff.  Swap stuff.

Make use of your local Kijiji, etsy.com, ebay, craft markets, and seriously -- your Grandma's cupboard.    

I was able to pick up the $330 lego set Brayden wants for $108 on ebay -- hard to argue with that!

If you do want a good plastic toy, our most-played-with-ever is Magformers.  These are some of the most versatile, indestructible, satisfying construction toys ever.  Worth the price tag for a larger set.  

I wish you a very wonder-filled shopping adventure, and a Christmas that hits the mark!  

p.s. I would LOVE to hear about what your family does, what finds you find, and whether you found this blog helpful!

'till next time,

your Secret Santa

Hobo Santa's Alternative Shopping Guide

Pictures of the best 30 presents Santa ever brought, some alternative shopping advice, and my current "coming-of-age" dilemma!

If you've already figured out

that Less is More,

how do you tackle Christmas

like you mean it?

This question gets harder

the more cognizant my children become!

This year marks the first time 

I've been seriously conflicted 

over their wish lists...

Even last year it was so simple!

My daughter was 8 and all she wanted

was a colouring book and a math book.

Bless my stars!

This year she wrote:

"Dear Santa, I wish for craft supplies and a real phone and if it doesn't bother you I would like an ipad and some gnome furniture and a doll and also a scooter, please."

Brayden's list was all LEGO,

and Davis' was a whole catalogue 

of things that get a flat out 'ixnay' from 

this Mother Claus!

It's complicated.

They are just entering the stage where they will probably listen to what their friends got

from Santa, and begin to feel slighted.

'Cause our Santa 

is a peculiar one. 

Christmas brings out my eccentric parenting

(like a werewolf to the moon).

This Mrs. Santa

does her Christmas shopping

at garage sales during the summer,

then rounds it out with odd thrift store items 

and a big splurge at the Antique Mall.

For nine years now I have preserved 

the mythology that Santa Claus 

does not work with plastic.

He does not bring LEGO

or anything that takes batteries.

His gifts look a little worn,

used, loved, chipped,

and perfectly unique.

They are wrapped in fabric

and tied with fabric bows.

This Santa

doesn't have

a single

piece 

of 

scotch

tape

to her name. 

Yes, I am hardcore obsessive 

about my Christmas aesthetic and

my old-fashioned Santa Workshop charm.

Want to see what our little elves 

have brought? 

Gnomes and gnome stuff are a constant.

Brayden, 6 years ago.  I love this phone!

Santa brings lots of shovels and brooms

Maddy's first dollhouse, homemade.

She still plays with it.

 

Blocks are indispensable.

Played with daily.

$5 garage sale wooden train

For Maddy this year!

On it goes.

I want their imaginations

to bustle with little elves

merrily hammering and painting

and restoring pre-loved toys

for children to love again!

Why does Santa need to bring

new things wrapped in cellophane?

Who says?

Well, they don't always appreciate it :)  

My 3 year old said to me yesterday,

"How come I wrote Santa 

my list the other Christmas

and he brought me a horrible present?"

I've also heard:

"Why did the elves make this toy so crappy?"

This does not phase me.

I'm not out to break their hearts

and shatter their dreams,

but 

I have an ideology to maintain!

It's not about being Scrooge,

it's just that

I've got good reasons

to keep a firm grip

on the reigns --

I am a warrior over the innocence

of my children,

and I know my enemy.

My loathing of Consumerism

is what's 

driving the sleigh.

Intuitively

I've battled the

Beast of Midnight Madness

all their lives.

With deliberate,

 counter-culture strokes

  

I have worked

to cultivate

Wonder                      

Mystery

                               and Reverence.

I call it

MAGICAL UNDERWHELM.

And it absolutely works.

I fully know that

 my children are what they are --

 soft, grounded, satisfied souls 

-- because they have

received

SO LITTLE STUFF.

 But back to my predicament.

As I write this,

I have been reminded

about why I do what I do.

Our family has standards

and

Santa is not a genie in a bottle.

But,

I also respect my kids' long-suffering,

their slight disappointments...

and their hope-against-hope

that maybe this time

Santa will fulfill their list.

 There is a time for everything,

 and 'everything at it's right time'

means letting go...

eventually.

:(

Ugh.  

Hobo Santa doesn't want to sell out!

But my kid's hearts

come above

my ideals.

So I think I've found my middle ground

for this year.

Santa's letter will read:

"Dearest Children,

Thank you for your lovely letters.

I wish I could give every child

all that they ask for,

but as it is,

my magic workshop is limited

by a few things.

I am bound to respect the wishes

of your parents,

so I'm afraid I can't do 

phones or ipads.

As for LEGO, I may let the occasional

set slip through, as I can see how

dearly you love it and how patiently

you have waited all year long.

I know you darling children

will understand that I need to spread

my gifts to those families

who are truly poor and needy.

I am always smiling over you

because your hearts are warm with

sharing and kindness.

I love you very much

and wish you a very 

joyful Christmas!"

 Christmas Eve will find me 

giddy on my knees

with the same sheaves of fabric & ribbon

I re-use every year.

(I should really just don some pointy ears

and put bells on my toes,

that's how utterly I love the job!)

I think this year 

the kids may lose their minds!

(we're talking one choice item each, that's it)

It's like waiting till you're married...

you know,

the anticipation! the fulfillment!

at last!

My reason for sharing this

is not to make anyone feel bad for being

a regular Christmas shopper!

However.

I do stand on the far edge

for a reason.

I do hope that my peculiar example

will inspire,

and even shift folks a few degrees

off baseline.

I also advocate for intentionality

in all realms of parenting --

Do what you do 

ON PURPOSE.

Know Your Goals.

For me,

it's standing against

the tsunami of Entitlement

and the Consumerism that gets in their blood.

Finally,

I offer this simple testimony:

Christmas morning 

in our house

is never a frenzy.

Never.

The glaze of greed doesn't

come over them.

It's dang fantastic

and I highly recommend it.

Just don't get to the Antique Mall before I do!

I've still got shopping to do!

p.s. another fabulous source

for magical Christmas gifts is

my friend Sharon Jong's boutique --

Check it out!!  Gnomes!  Felted goodies!

Heart Roots

She's a wizard!