A Few Great Stella Holiday Stories (To Stella 4.4),

One day in early December you came home from school very upset. When I asked you what was wrong you told me that you had to choose a costume at school to make and wear for the Chanukkah party. Then in your most adamantly upset voice you declared, "I don't want to be a dreidel or a latke!" This carried on for some time such that Dad and I spoke to Robert and he asked if you were "costume averse" which you aren't really although you are averse to looking foolish or to having too much attention focused on you. Your teachers stopped calling it a costume and eventually won you over. You ended up being a relatively willing and very adorable dreidel. Your class Chanukkah party was so much fun!

Christmas with a four year old is one of life's true pleasures. Good thing that you are at a Jewish preschool so they are taking care of any religious education you may need. You already know more than either Daddy or me (I can just hear Dad now saying, "Speak for yourself.") Nevertheless, I am a full-on Christmas mom and have pretty successfully converted Dad and shown him the splendor of Santa's holiday. We had a great time this year baking cookies (with Hugo and Jasper),
decorating our tree and talking constantly about what Santa was going to bring you and whether or not you were on the naughty list or the nice list. The night that Dad went to get the tree, you and I stayed home and looked out the window waiting to see him come around the corner with the chosen one. When he finally came into view and you saw the tree he had selected you burst into tears because it wasn't big enough.
We decorated our tree on the last night of Channukah and Grandma and Grandma came over to help us and to celebrate the Jewish portion of the holiday season with us.

On Christmas eve, you left out some cookies, carrots and water for Santa and the reindeer. You were really excited, of course, although a bit apprehensive thinking about a stranger and some animals stomping around your apartment. And you had a lot of questions about how Santa was going to get in and whether he would come to our house first or to the neighbors, etc. But eventually you fell asleep and Daddy and I were able to arrange all your and Vivian's presents under the tree. When you woke up, you came straight into our bedroom and woke me up by asking, "Did Santa do us yet?" I said I didn't know so you and I went together to the living room to find out. When you saw the presents you started jumping up and down saying, "Yay! I was on the nice list!"

Then you and I were sitting on the couch and you looked out the window and told me that you saw Santa in the sky do a quick spin and then fly off. It really made me wonder whether you were somehow in on the conspiracy. Like a part of you knows that there is no real Santa (wait, WHAT?????) although you are happy to pretend. But a few days after Christmas, Grandma Helaine told you that she was talking to Santa about you and you asked her, "Where did you see him? At the North Pole or Macy's?"

Santa brought you lots of great toys but, interestingly, your two favorites were a ballerina pen and a slinky -- both of which I had gotten as Chanukkah presents but never given to you as, during the Festival of Lights, just lighting candles and saying the prayer was fun enough for you. The bigger presents -- a cash register (something you had said you wanted for a long time), a Little Mermaid fountain for the bathtub (which you begged for) were much less exciting to you. In fact, with your larger presents you have steadfastly refused to open the boxes. You like looking at the pictures on the outside but you absolutely refuse to open them or play with them. Well, they are yours so okay.

For the record, I am an equal opportunity holiday mom (even if Christmas is kind of my favorite) and we lit candles every night on Chanukkah too. You made a beautiful menorah in the Silver Room and were very proud of it. Every night we each bet on which candle would burn out first and then Daddy and I prayed that you would win or we could distract you at the last minute if you weren't going to. We know one day we will have to teach you that it is okay to lose but you are clearly not ready for this lesson yet.

You loved it when you and Vivian would wear your matching holiday pajamas. These were a good purchase that have gotten a lot of use! We are so happy that you are so happy to have a little sister.


Thanks for helping make this such a fun holiday! Why don't you just stay four forever?

Love,
Mom