North Family Adventures

We Believe

2009-12-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

We just finished watching Yes, Virginia on television. What a sweet show and even sweeter story. The undeterred faith of this eight-year-old child speaks, not only of faith, but of hope as well. It also glorifies the innocence of childhood, especially at this time of year.

For those of you who have never read or heard Virginia's letter or editorial response, I have copied it below in addition to some biographical information on Virginia and Sun's editor Francis Church. Enjoy!

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

About the Exchange

Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and went on to became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, almost a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.

Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter:

“Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject.

“It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in the The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter.

“ ‘Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father.

“He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’ ”

And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents’ favorite newspaper.

Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and had worked on the The New York Sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man, had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of cant.” When controversial subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were usually given to Church.

Now, he had in his hands a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and he was burdened with the responsibility of answering it.

“Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history.

Church married shortly after the editorial appeared. He died in April, 1906, leaving no children.

Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at age 21. The following year she received her Master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.

Kaelyn's Review

2009-11-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

Tonight we watched the movie Up. It was fantastic! It might well be one of my all time favorite Disney movies. More importantly, Kaelyn loved it. Here is Kaelyn's review of Up:

"Up was great! My favorite part was when the bird swallowed the balloon and it popped in his neck. That was hilarious! I liked the little boy. I liked the old man, but he was grumpy. I want to watch Up all the time! I want to tie balloons to my house so we can fly around the world! And, Mommy cried again."

Holiday Art

2009-11-24T21:27:00.002-05:00

Isn't this turkey and scarecrow cute? Kaelyn made them in school especially for Thanksgiving. I love them! I want to frame them and keep them up all year. Once again, Kaelyn did a great job. Beautiful creations, Kaelyn!

Classic Minnie

2009-12-09T21:20:00.003-05:00

Kaelyn created her favorite character out of construction paper today. She worked really hard to make everything "just right". I asked her if she needed some help, but she told me that she could do everything herself. I think she did a great job! It looks just like Classic Minnie Mouse!

Kaelyn's Picture of Mommy

2009-12-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

This is Kaelyn's interpretation of what Mommy looks like when she is driving the van. Notice the hearts coming out of the top of the van. This is because "Mommy drives with love".

Great job, Kaelyn!

Baking Thanksgiving Cookies at Nana's House

2009-11-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

Every year, on the night before Thanksgiving, we make cut-out cookies with my Mom. This tradition is even more fun since Kaelyn has been participating in the cookie baking process. This year, she even helped frost and sprinkle the cookies. She did a great job! This year, Gretchen participated by playing in the jumper, but, next year, she will be eating cookie dough and frosting just like Kaelyn!

Future Hair Twirler

2009-12-09T20:26:00.004-05:00

I went in to check on Gretchen during her nap today and this is what I saw. She is holding her head like she was twirling her hair and fell asleep. She tries and tries to twirl what little hair she has as a way to comfort herself. She is a future hair twirler for sure!

All Girl

2009-12-09T20:16:00.002-05:00

Kaelyn left one of her Barbie dolls on the sofa the other day, so I gave it to Gretchen to see what she would do with it. She immediately smiled and began inspecting her new possession. She loved it! Soon enough, Gretchen will be playing with Barbies with her big sister and loving every minute of it!

Practicing for the Future

2009-12-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

Lately, during dinner, Gretchen has been raising her hand, as if to ask permission to speak. She always does this when someone is talking. We joke that she is practicing for school -- raising her hand for the teacher to call on her.

Don't practice too much, Gretchen! You have a long time before we send you off to school!

A Glimpse into Our Daily Happenings

2009-11-27T14:20:00.001-05:00

As our faithful readers know, I am neurotic about housekeeping. I have a hard time resisting cleaning when Kaelyn is playing and moves on to something else. However, I have learned (the hard way) that, just because she moves on to something else, she is not always done with what she left. As such, I have learned to leave her toys where they lay until she goes to bed. Then, I clean like a madwoman! I make sure that all of her toys are put away (unless she has specifically requested that something stay in place) and the house is neat and tidy before I go to bed. This way, I have two times during the day when the house is perfectly clean -- first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

With this post, I thought I would offer you some insight into what our house looks like during the day. Hopscotch in the hallway, games all over the house, toys everywhere, art supplies left out, post-it-notes on the television, couch cushions used as lily pads, Gretchen in the Exersaucer, and books everywhere.

I constantly battle picking up versus letting Kaelyn be carefree and letting her play. Some days are harder than others, but it has been getting easier every day. Just think, next year at this time, I will have two girls playing all over the house with double the toys everywhere!

And the Winner is . . .

2009-12-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

Kaelyn was handing out all types of awards today, and Gretchen won the "Best Little Sister" award. It was a proud day at our house!

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

2009-12-02T14:10:00.003-05:00

This is Kaelyn's interpretation of God holding the Earth in His hands. I love the smiley face on the Earth. I also love that Kaelyn added the moon and the sun. Note the fingers at the bottom of the Earth -- fantastic!

Great job, Kaelyn!

Turtle Takes A Swing

2009-12-09T14:03:00.003-05:00

Check out Turtle's new sleeping spot. She loves climbing into Gretchen's swing to sleep. It is really funny to watch her climb in the swing. The swing moves when she is trying to climb in and Turtle always moves a little tentatively before jumping in to sleep. It's a good thing that Gretchen hardly uses the swing anymore. Unfortunately for Turtle, the swing will soon be gone!

As Seen on TV

2009-11-25T12:31:00.001-05:00

That's right . . . Kaelyn got a Snuggie. She has wanted one since the first time she saw the commercial. It turns out that Nana bought one for her for Christmas. She ended up buying too many gifts for Kaelyn, so she gave her the Snuggie early. What a rough life Kaelyn lives! She does love the Snuggie, though. She sleeps in it every night. Thanks, Nana!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T12:25:00.001-05:00

Kaelyn and Gretchen say "Happy Thanksgiving!" Aren't the the girls' dresses fabulous? My mom made them from patterns that she used when she made clothes for my sister and me. I love them. I also love that I finally get to dress the girls alike! I think they both look adorable.

We all hope that you have a blessed and food-filled Thanksgiving!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally got our tree up and the house decorated for Christmas. We were going to decorate last Friday, but Brian hurt his knee and could not get up into the attic. So, one week later, we are done. Kaelyn is super excited! She did most of the tree decorating, and, I must say, she did a great job! Gretchen loves to look at the lights. She knows something is different in the house, but she can't quite figure it out. Now we are officially ready for the Holidays! Bring on Santa!

Put on A Happy Face

2009-12-01T12:10:00.002-05:00

Today was a rough day for Kaelyn. She was very emotional and everything she did was "too hard". So, she drew a bunch of smiley faces on a piece of paper to make her day better. I must say, this did seem to help her mood!

Kaelyn Says . . .

2009-11-23T21:31:00.000-05:00

THE EYES HAVE IT

I was putting in my contacts this morning when Kaelyn walked in and watched me for a minute. Then she said, "you know, if Elmo wore contacts, they would have to be really bit contacts!"

So true!

Kaelyn Says . . .

2009-11-22T21:27:00.001-05:00

HEAVENLY LINEAGE

While we were driving home tonight, Kaelyn was in the back seat telling Daddy and I about the birth of Jesus. At one point, she began talking about his parents, saying . . . "you know, Jesus was born in a stable because they couldn't find a room anywhere . . . you know, God and whoever his mother was."

Oh, Kaelyn! You almost got it right!

Kaelyn's Review

2009-11-19T23:31:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAD KITTY

We ordered several books from Scholastic Book Club through Kaelyn's school several weeks ago. Today, Kaelyn came home with a bag full of new books, including Happy Birthday Bad Kitty. So, tonight I told Kaelyn that we would read a couple of chapters before she went to bed. Well, a couple of chapters turned into all 159 pages! This book is HILARIOUS as well as being a fast read. We read the entire book in less than 30 minutes.

Here is Kaelyn's review of Happy Birthday Bad Kitty:

"Kitty is hilarious! I love it when he rips up all of the decorations. I also love it when his Mommy Kitty comes to visit. Stinky Kitty is hilarious! All of the kitties are hilarious! Chatty Kitty talks super fast! This book is so funny that I want to read it every day and every night. I love Bad Kitty!"

There you have it. A glowing recommendation for Happy Birthday Bad Kitty. Even if you don't have kids, do yourself a favor and read this book. You will thank us!

Kaelyn Says . . .

2009-11-19T23:41:00.001-05:00

ANOTHER CASE FOR THE WONDER HANGER

This morning, while I was fixing Kaelyn's hair before school, Kaelyn made yet another case for our purchasing the Wonder Hanger.

Kaelyn: Mom, you know that the wonder hanger comes with the bend-a-hanger. It keeps silky tops from slipping off the hanger. I think we need one.
Mommy: I don't have any silky tops and neither do you, so we really don't need one.
Kaelyn: Well, the Wonder Hanger can hold five winter coats, and they bend down so your closet isn't messy and you can find things.
Mommy: My closet isn't messy and I can find things just fine. Your closet isn't messy either.
Kaelyn: (frustrated sigh) Just buy one Mom. It's totally worth it.

Sitting Up Tall in My High Chair

2009-11-19T00:48:00.003-05:00

Gretchen finally has the strength to support herself in the full upright position in her high chair. She loves it! She thinks she is a big shot when she sits in her high chair and plays with her toys. We still have to recline the chair to feed her -- she doesn't quite have the coordination to eat upright. We tried, but most of it fell out of her mouth. Soon enough she will be eating upright with the rest of us, but, for now, she will just have to be happy playing upright!

Gretchen Models Traditional Thanksgiving Wear

2009-11-19T00:25:00.003-05:00

I love this little outfit! Kaelyn wore it for her five month photo to commemorate her first Thanksgiving, so I had to have Gretchen wear it for her six month photo/commemoration. I especially love the backside -- gobble, gobble!

Illustrated Nursery Rhyme

2009-11-19T00:07:00.004-05:00

Ever since Kaelyn was an infant, she has loved the nursery rhyme, Hey, Diddle Diddle. So, the other day, I saw her working very hard on an art project. When she was finished, she proudly showed me what she had done. The result was an illustrated version of her favorite nursery rhyme.

Hey, diddle diddle! The cat and the fiddle . . .
(notice the fiddle that the cat is playing,
and the feet with claws)

the cow jumped over the moon.
(How great is this picture?!)

The little dog laughed to see such sport,
(Notice the basketball. Kaelyn didn't know which sport the little dog was laughing at, so she chose basketball!)

and the dish ran away with the spoon.
(Again, how great is this picture?!)

Tom Turkey's Thanksgiving Advice

2009-11-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

Isn't this little turkey cute? Kaelyn made this in school as a table decoration for the Thanksgiving Feast. I love his meal advice for Thanksgiving Day!