The Santa Suits

I have bought my son a Santa Suit every December that he has been on this planet.  I think it's terribly adorable to see my darling boy wearing the cheery fellow's signature garb of red pants and shirt with white furry trim.  Topping his blond locks with a Santa's cap is like the icing on my Christmas cake.  I dress him as Santa to visit with Santa and I dress him as Santa as many other times as I can during the Christmas season.

Although he loudly complained that he didn't want one, I bought him a Santa Suit this evening.  My son is developing very definite opinions on everything from the food he eats to the clothes that he wears and those opinions will only grow more forceful as he continues to grow and mature.  That's life, I suppose.  He is his own person and I don't have any problem with him voicing his thoughts and opinions.  After all, I'm raising a little boy who will become a man, not my robot.  However, I am sad to consider that this might be the last year that he wants to wear, or that I can make him wear, a Santa Suit.

After Christmas, I will clean and carefully pack up this Santa Suit - just as I have with the others that he wore the last two years.  I don't know why I've kept these sweet suits other than they are tender reminders of some of the most joyful times I've ever experienced.  Seeing the wonder of Christmas through my son's eyes. . .words simply are inadequate to express such joy.  Perhaps it's just that the holidays are hardest during the year that you've lost a loved one, maybe it's just my hormones, or I could just be feeling exhausted, but I'm very near to tears. 

I didn't realize until I began to write this post that those Santa Suits are so much more than just clothing.  Time relentlessly marches on and my little boy is already growing up so fast.  Even though I'm a SAHM and I never missed a single milestone, I feel like I've missed his babyhood because it happened so fast.  I can't help but feel that my son will be grown and have a family of his own in what I'll no doubt feel is the blink of an eye.  Time flies far too fast; embrace today because tomorrow will be here before you know it.