That time of year...

My youngest had this thing going for a couple months where she kept on the lookout for the Canadian flag. "There's a Canada," she'd say. Sometimes, it would take a couple seconds of focusing on my part to see what she was seeing, but always, yup, there it would be -- the simple red and white, the maple leaf on the back cover of a picture book, easily overlooked. Funny how she stopped noticing our flag the day I presented a real maple leaf to her, and very stupidly of me I said, "Look, a Canada!" I believe she's still keeping a lookout for the flag, but never when I'm around. Daddy just doesn't get it, right.

We were at Loblaws the other day. I had her sitting in the carriage, enjoying her company as I slowly made my way up and down the aisles, when suddenly she made a move like she did when she was still obsessed with spotting a Canada. I followed her direction, her little finger pointing straight at a cardboard display with those familiar colors in it. No, not the white and red, but the green, the gold, the red, and the white – the colours of Christmas. "Look," she said. "Christmas!"

What a joy! And what a wonderful responsibility this is for us parents, planning their Christmas, making sure they know this time of year is just for them. Wrapping their presents is cool, but the opening takes no time at all, and their newness never lasts more than ten days or so, really. It's the other stuff that makes this holiday such a special time of the year for the children, and for us. Watching their faces lighting up at the sight of a cardboard display (my youngest isn't quite four years old yet) you just know they believe it was set up and placed there just for them.