Thoughts on Santa

I have such mixed feelings on Santa. On one hand I want to be able to shower Madeline with gifts and watch how excited she gets with each and every mention of Santa's name. I also like the idea of having to be good all year in order to get presents. BUT, and that's big on purpose, I really want to stress the true reason for Christmas. I want Christmas to be all about Christ's birth and celebrating the best gift we could have ever received. Christmas has become a little stressful because of this constant debate I have going on in my head. I figure this is my last year to figure this issue out because next year Madeline will remember what we do and how we handle it.

I tried to just do Sinterklaas but that isn't gonna happen. Santa will be bringing a stocking full of stuff on Christmas morning. Also, Santa will be making yearly stops at the inlaws dropping off presents for Madeline. This I can not control, so I'm not even going to try. Madeline also pretty much discovered Santa all on her own so that has to factor into the equation a bit. At this time she doesn't know he brings gifts but she sure loves the guy regardless. I really don't want to tell Madeline that Santa isn't real because I don't want her spoiling it for other kids. I don't need angry parents calling me to tell me my child spoiled their Christmas. I do fear, however, that if I say that Santa is real and then Madeline finds out it was all pretend that she'll think Jesus is pretend too.

So here are my ideas for now but I really am not thrilled with any of them.

1.) Do Sinterklaas and teach Madeline the history behind that and don't do Christmas stockings or visit Santa.

2.) Continue Sinterklaas and stockings and make a yearly visit to Santa, but tell Madeline from the get go the truth about Santa and hope she doesn't spoil it for other kids.

3.) Avoid the issue and then when Madeline asks why Santa doesn't bring her presents tell her that mommy and daddy told Santa not to bring presents so he could use the money/time he'd spend on her gifts giving/making gifts for the poor children. --- if I do this I'm afraid that she'll think that only poor kids get gifts from Santa.

4.) Go all out, give in and just do the Santa thing and hope we can somehow use the belief in Santa to explain Jesus.

Maybe we'll just get lucky and Madeline will be like me. I just kind of went along with Santa, never really believed but didn't spoil it for other kids either. I'm sure I'm stressing about this for nothing and I obviously have too much time on my hands to even be thinking about this at all.

So what does everyone else out there do with the whole Santa thing? I'd love some ideas.