I didn't sleep very well last night. I had laid down next to Luc while he was falling asleep. Slowly I just listened to his breathing as he made his way into what we love to call "Dreamland". Each night I ask him what we will do tonight together in Dreamland .... typically it's ride rollercoasters. I always tell him that I will meet him there.

As I was about to get up and tiptoe back to our bed, Luc rolled over and rested his head on my shoulder. I was immediately brought back to the younger years, where he was so small (10 pounds at birth) that I would just hold his sleeping self and watch him.

I stayed right where I was all night and I just watched him. How have 9 years passed? This little boy..... was once a baby and now he's full of wonder lust and imagination.

I had the same feeling as we were decorating the tree the other day. As I pulled out ornaments I held up the ones that said "Vermont 1998", our first Christmas together. Beforehand we had gone to Vermont and I remember as we were riding our mountain bikes through town we stopped at a little Christmas shop to buy these. Now over 10 years later here we are.

From Thanksgiving until sometimes mid January the hat you see in the picture above, will remain on Luc's head. His old school made him take it off last year. Not his new school. Wear it away they say.

I've pulled out all of my Santa tricks, my Call Santa iPhone application, Santa calls your child with either a warning or a good job message! And juts yesterday as I was working I called Luc to my office! Santa just magically popped up on my screen with a personalized video message for Luc! And don't forget my all time favorite... the Christmas Eve Santa Tracker: www.noradsanta.com , works every time.

If anyone believes in the magic of the season, it's Luc. It's something I appreciate more than anyone. He confided in me that 2 boys on his bus told him Santa did not exist. He then confided in me..... that Santa exists in your heart. Santa knows who believes and who doesn't. It doesn't matter what you tell the boys on the bus.

It seems as if Luc believes in something much bigger than whether there truly is a Santa Claus. Christmas is the 6 weeks of the year that people are a little kinder, people get together, people decorate and celebrate. Luc has taught me to fully and completely embrace that. We listen to the Christmas music the moment it is begun. If they begin it in October then all the better!

Luc proudly cries out "HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS!" any time he can, he knows the importance of spreading good cheer.

Each morning the first thing he does is light up the Christmas Tree and turn on the train beneath it. Much of his time after school is playing with that train. We may have the most used Christmas Tree in the world!!!!

I think the important thing is to soak up the magic of the season. The beauty of the snow coating the trees, allowing the world to be a little bit brighter. The folks who take their time to play Santa and spread good will among us. The little boy who runs around in his Santa hat and believes, because it's fun to believe in magic.

If we don't believe in a little bit of magic..... where will we be? Santa, he's a stretch of the imagination. But rather than getting caught up in the technicalities of how he delivers all the presents in one night, how the reindeer fly, and how he fits through that chimney...... believing in the magic of it all seems to do us just fine.

It's time to break out the cross country skiis and the sleds, because the snow is here!

Here is a little video that Luc and I took last year... if the video is not working here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udqs5LrM2jg