We celebrated Saint Nicolas at home too, today. It works like this. All the presents come from Saint Nicolas, and they are standing outside the front door, brought by Black Peter. Each present has a little poem attached about the person who gets the present. Often there are many compliments in the poem and some teasing as well.
It was the first year our daughter had played Saint Nicolas and bought presents. She is an only child, but happily she went shopping for this with a friend. She had bought us a big reindeer made of a hose with lights in it. You can put it outside and inside. We have stables, and an advent calendar, advent candles, and a Christmas tree with decorations that seem to come from poor countries; all serious things. This reindeer falls in a totally another genre. I liked it, and my husband fell immediately in love with it.
All the years before our daughter went through the magazines from the toyshops to make a wish list, but she did not do that so much this year. She did not find anything in it. She gets too big for the toyshop.
We gave her a big cuddle bear (among many other presents). It was on her list and we thought she might need is. She is growing up, but at the same time she is still a little girl, an Alice in Wonderland sort of; a confusing time. Something soft to hold can give reassurance. She fell asleep tonight with this big bear cuddled in her arms.