We started celebrating this day a few years back, as a way to incorporate the idea of St. Nick. Also, why not have just another excuse to give a couple of gifts? St. Nicholas Day is on December 6th. We all put our shoes outside the door the night before and in the morning they are filled with small gifts and chocolate coins.
This year the kids all got a dollar in their shoe and so I took them to the Dollar Store to pick something out later that day. Even Fiona got to pick out a little toy. The best thing that came from this particular shopping experience was the laugh that came from Madeline's toy. She picked a stuffed polar bear with a winter hat and scarf on. She is really into dressing up her animals, so later that day she got my big scissors and cut the clothes of this poor little thing. As it turns out, one way manufacturers of Dollar Store items save and cut corners is on body parts of the stuffed animals. Off came the polar bear's hat and underneath was no second ear. Madeline didn't seem to notice and continued to be a good little mother. Later she did say, "I wish he had another ear!" Despite the deformity, he still has a special place in Madeline's room.
