Christmas Eve Eve

The coolest thing: A little fire is in the fireplace, a chill in the air outside, the unfortunate pitter-patter of raindrops on the porch roof can be heard. Daughter cuddling by the fireplace decides it would be more comfortable to have a pillow and a blanket so she scurries upstairs and then cuddles some more.

Finding that too much time on the floor gets a bit uncomfortable, I retreat back to a couch and my laptop (HI!) as I am ripping some classical music from a bunch of CDs. Upon my next glance over, Daughter (she's 9 years old now) has set Rebecca, her American Girl Bitty Baby, on the hearth so she can enjoy the experience also. For some reason, it has touched me immensely. She's growing up so fast this year, for the first time without her brother at the same school. She's debating about the reality of Santa Claus - all the rotten neighborhood kids insist he's not real - but I think she's still got some doubts about their position on the whole thing. Son claims to be undecided, but he's 12 years old and although he and I haven't discussed it I find it difficult to believe that he still hears the sleigh bells. I think that he knows how much trouble there'd be if he spoils it.

Are we hanging onto their youth too long?