Kelsey was a college roommate/friend of my high school friend Cindy (got that?), and when I first moved back to Ohio after college, Kelsey looked me up and we hung out some, even though she lived over an hour away (oh, the single days!). I had gotten into Dar Williams in college, and Kelsey is a serious Dar fan. So how many times did we see her together, Kels, 2 or 3? Good times.
Anywho, I just won Kelsey's Christmas mix contest. She made me TWO Christmas CD's, one for grown-ups and one for kids, and they are incredible. Sugarland? Dar? The cast of Glee? Singing Christmas music? It's to die for. (This is coming from someone who listens to more than her fair share of The Wiggles). And see how she makes them all pretty? She's a gem. Thank you #2!!!
There are quite a few questions about Santa at our house right now. When we first decided whether or not we would "do Santa," Brian and I said something along the lines of, "we'll go along with it, but just try not to outright lie about it when they ask questions." Well here's the thing, it's impossible to talk about Santa without lying. And it feels strange to me to make up elaborate stories about how things happen with him, but how else do you explain things?
They have also become aware of the concept of the naughty and nice list, from watching Dora. Katy is very concerned about this, because the very possibility that she could do something wrong and consequently get no presents for Christmas is crushing to her soul. So just in the past few days, I have fielded the following questions from my 4.5 year old:
-How does Santa fit down the chimney? Will he get burned on the candles? (we have candles in our fireplace)
-How do reindeer fly? They don't have wings.
-If I do not share this candy cane with David, will I be on the naughty list?
-Who do we know who is on the naughty list?
-Are there different Santas? The one who came to my school was a different Santa than the one at the senior center. One had a short grey beard and one had a long white beard.
-How will Santa know whose stocking is whose?
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We fight a lot of battles around here, but lately the enemy that is getting to me is The Snot. I feel like I spend half the day wiping noses, and it's been this way for about 3 months. We have not had one single solitary day in 3 months in which one kid did not have a runny nose. Currently, the boys (of course, the ones who cannot wipe their own noses) are running like faucets. Yes, I said it. It's nasty. The other day on the way to preschool David cried at the top of his lungs all the way to school, "I have a runny nose!!" I would have stopped if I weren't several minutes late already. I actually told him, "Use your glove, buddy! Katy, show him how to use his glove!" What else can I do? He also refuses to wear hats and gloves and then cries when we get outside because he's cold.
I'm also finding dirty tissues all over the house. Recently Katy started to tell me in a tattle-tale tone, "Mommy, after David uses a tissue..." and I thought she was going to say that he drops it on the ground, so I said, "Uh-huh..." and she said, "he puts it back in the box."
Just keep that in mind if you find yourself in need of a tissue when you're at my house.
9 comments:
I know what you mean about Santa. My response to most things is "What do you think?"
I also use the "Some people say Santa does..." to explain things.
And lastly-- "Whether you are naughty nice (and everyone is both) there will ALWAYS be presents under your tree."
I like Kate's Santa response...I just commented to Mike about how I feel bad about lying! We don't have an actual fireplace so the boys are trying to figure out how Santa will get in. They liked the idea that he can just come in the door (coming thru the wall like 'magic' was not cool with them). Mike's mom has a good response for when they get older and question Santa's existence...she says something like- 'Santa is more of a feeling or spirit of Christmas and you can decide for yourself but I still believe'. I wish keeping up the Santa notion didn't involve so much, um, creativity. I am also tired of the snot factor but what can you do? At least David will try to use a tissue- Liam likes to use the back of his hand--ew! And Chloe likes to use ME :( We just try to survive, right?
Oh and I am super sad I didn't win Kelsey's contest and SUPER jealous of your mix cd's...they sound fantastic!!
I was going to write the same thing as Kate....I also do a lot of "What do you think?" or I'll just respond to her comments, if it's not a question, "Oh, is that right?" I told my mom last week how I feel SO terrible every time I have to lie. I try not to. Rachel also asked about the different santas--we saw Santa at Easton, but later that day she and Daddy went to Polaris to shop and she saw him there. First she said, "Santa must've come here from Easton," but then she said, "Or maybe there's TWO Santas!" My parents used to tell me that those Santas at malls and such were Santa's helpers because he couldn't be everywhere.
Oh, and last night we were talking about whether or not my grandma was in heaven (she asked), and discussing what people have to believe in order to be in heaven, and she said, "I love Jesus and believe He's God's son," to which I smiled, but then she added, "And I believe in Santa, too. Jesus and Santa...." and then she started making up a song about Jesus and Santa. Ugh. I don't know how to respond to that. How do I tell her that Jesus is real and Santa isn't without crushing her? So I didn't say anything, but felt like a horrible mom.
We've had almost the exact same Santa questions! Naughty has gotten into Brooklyn's psyche, too. :)
LOL! Thanks for the warning about the tissues. :-)
It is hard to keep Santa in perspective with pre-schoolers. I usually tried to interject the "family view" of Christmas with my Santa responses. "Santa has lots of helpers because there are soooo many children all over the world. Besides, most of the presents come from your family and friends and the people who love you. That is the most important part of Christmas."
It seemed to have worked. You girls don't seem permanently warped by the fantasty of a pretend Santa.
I'm trying my best to do the Santa thing too and hoping I don't start tripping over myself. I want him to believe in it though - it's all so magical.
Snot in my house too. And coughs. I'm trying the black tea and honey thing for me and will start putting a tea spoon of honey into their warm bedtime milk - I've heard it works, right? The sleeve comment is hilarious! I have found myself using all kinds of stuff on the kids when caught without a tissue. We have to be creative. LOL
Santa's the ultimate legalist, isn't he?! ;-)
We've always taken the kids to see Santa etc., But they also know he's pretend. They like to talk about him still, but we've never had to lie about it. Whenever Ella asks questions, it's funny because she knows he's not real but still likes to imagine.
It's kind of like the Disney Characters. They know they're just people in costumes, but they still get so excited to meet them...
When I grew up, my parents acted like Santa was evil and all that. Greg's family did Santa up to the extreme. We feel like this is the happy medium.
(And I don't feel any guilt for either depriving them of Santa or of lying.)
~Charity
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