Samuel’s Grandma Thomas came for a visit recently. With her coat barely on the hanger, Samuel ran over and blurted out “We got you stink-free bubble bath for Christmas!” She laughed. I gasped. Later that afternoon, the all-so-wonderful “Christmas Secret” was born.

A “Christmas Secret” is simply the promise to not tell everyone what you bought them for the holidays. To Samuel, it’s a force driving him crazy. Sometimes he’s antsy and pacing like he has to potty. When I tell him to run to the bathroom, he says “I don’t have taaa. I have a Christmas Secret.”

Samuel came to me the other night and said “I’m not going to tell you the name of Daddy’s Christmas Secret, but it’s something you scratch then win dollars.” So much for the Scratch & Play Bingo cards Mike got for me. It truly was a sweet thought though.

While in the Christmas aisle finishing up some shopping at K-Mart one Sunday, Samuel touched two or three village houses and sheepishly promised “to keep his Christmas Secret from Mommy… but I know you’re
going to loooooooove them!”

When Marcus was worrying about Jacob, we used to tell him to cup his worry in his hands and literally throw it up to God. Unbeknownst to us, the little one was taking notes. After another recently blurted out Christmas Secret, he let out a big “uh-oh,” cupped his hands, threw them up in the air and yelled “Here ya go God!” Not quite what Mike and
I had in mind, but the little booger sure gave us a good laugh.

When I was little, I used to think Christmas was the most magical time in the world. Thanks to Samuel, I still do.

Happy holidays to you and yours. May the magic of the holidays touch your life every day.

Until next time,

The Hoffman Holiday Card

My parents have two Labs: Cupid and Kobe. Somehow Samuel has confused them with Santa’s reindeer when he sings his favorite Rudolph song. As my little dear likes to sing, “You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Comet,
and Cupid…. and Kobe… and Rudolph, the famous one.”