Santa in the 21st Century

We were out waiting for the bus in the new-fallen snow when Peanut said, "Mom, how can Santa see me?"

Now, I totally respect all the varying opinions on Santaness, but around these parts we've never done a whole lot about him. Buddy is faaaaaar too logical and concrete to have ever bought the concept, even when he was small, and the idea of a man who breaks into your home and eats your cookies seemed a little too creepy in light of my daughters' background, whether or not the intruder leaves you presents. But the older girls came to us Santa in tact, and we certainly aren't going to do anything to disrupt that, either. Princess, under the unfortunate influence of her older brother, is starting to question the whole deal, but Peanut is STEADFAST.

So I said, "hmm. That's an interesting question. What do you think?
Princess (who is involved in every conversation and couldn't hold a conviction to save her life) interjected, "I don't think Santa is real?"
I said, "you're not sure about it."
Peanut (who couldn't not hold a conviction to save her life) got distressed and started yelling, "Santa IS real! He IS! I saw him at school and he was ALIVE, not DEAD!!!!"
Princess backed waaaay up and said, "I think Santa is real?"
I said, "you're not sure about it."
Peanut: "HE IS REAL!!!!!!!!"
Me: "and you are sure about it. So how do you think he sees you?"
Peanut: "He watches me on TV."



(Lest anyone thing I'm still living in Magic Fairy Land, the last time I saw Princess yesterday was while she was busily engaged in informing me that I am a "stupid poopy dumb Dog Mommy," and the first time I saw her this morning was right after cleaning up the place on the carpet outside the bathroom where she sat and peed. But I am so completely bored of this that I don't even want to devote a whole post to it right now. )