I am not super-big on Santa. Friendly stranger breaks into your house via the chimney while his reindeer poop on your roof, leaves his stuff in your living room and eats your cookies. Creeps me out. So when Buddy was little, we just didn't really talk about Santa. When he was two-ish, he started to get a confused look when people would ask if Santa had come to his house and to be uncomfortable with their confused looks when he said no. So he asked what this whole Santa deal was about, and I told him.
But then the girls came, pre-packaged with Santa lore. Especially fun was comforting a teary 3-year-old who spent two weeks excited beyond her brain capacity to "give Santa a hug when he comes to J's house," only to find that Santa had come and gone and left presents and she had missed it.
And things have gotten a little blurry.
Last year Princess wrote Santa a long and involved letter asking for a boot ornament. That was all. A boot ornament. And I, in my deluded short-sightedness thought, oh, how cute. A boot ornament. And I spent two weeks scouring the internet and the stores for a boot ornament. They are not as easily found as one might think. But find one I did.
Only she hadn't wanted a boot. She had wanted a boat. Which should have been obvious to me, since Buddy's favorite ornament is a boat, and Princess is never confident that what she has and likes is good enough.
Santa, as it turns out, cannot read first-grade spelling.
So it is now post-Thanksgiving, and Princess has in the last two days killed a small forest of trees to write letters for Santa. And Buddy is dropping several hints that maybe it's about time for her to drop this Santa thing already. And I am dropping Buddy not-so-subtle hints that this is not his area to meddle in and I will drop-kick him off Santa's sleigh if he continues.
And I don't really know what to do.
I do know Santa is not going to attempt to decipher second-grade writing this year. But I don't feel it's my place to burst the bubble, either. I'm adopting a, "well, I guess we'll see what happens I don't know," attitude.
But I can't shake the feeling that I've painted myself into a corner.
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Funny post. I have had to give the "don't-tell-them-I'll-explain-santa-later" stink eye to my oldest. LOL!
ReplyDeletePeace
We tell the kids Santa is a like a party game for Jesus's birthday party. We pretend in Santa. They right letters if they want, but no deciphering...lol.
ReplyDeleteKerrie, keep the magic alive as long as you can. We only have an opportunity to be a child for a short period of time. The "realities" of life sting us so hard sometimes it hurts; your girls know this all too well. We all deserve pure fun as we grow up. When the time is right for them to "know" - you will know but don't tell them any earlier than you have to - I agree its not your place. From my perspective (and this of course just my opinion), Santa is an embodiment of giving and joy. "Santa" lives in every parent who wants to do something nice for their kids just to see the look on their face Christmas morning. Santa to me is more than just the story - he is the spirit of doing something FOR someone else WITHOUT getting credit. This is the very basis and foundation of charity. Santa, if you will, gives without receiving and without the expectation of receiving. To me, that's the best message in the world to teach a child. I love the 'boot' story - good opportunity to teach a child that no one is EVER perfect - including Santa Claus! Love you! HO HO HO
ReplyDeleteP.S. Talk to my mom about "deciphering". One year when I was getting skeptical, I wrote my entire letter in GREEK using our dictionary! She sat up ALL NIGHT (I'm not kidding) and translated the ENTIRE thing. To this day I still look back on how much she must have loved me to sacrifice her Christmas day (no sleep) for the sake of the magic. Maybe don't put so much into the "letter". Macy's right now has a mailbox where you can take it and "send" it off. Don't try to get everything on the list...if you can't read it, don't get it! :)
ReplyDeleteOh but Santa's elves are fabulous at helping children behave! "look Princess, there's one now!"
ReplyDeleteWe don't know what to do about Santa. She's only a few months old this year so it's not a big deal. But we're hoping to go with Santa as a folk tale and game of pretend, not a real man. I hate the thought that we might be pressured by society (mostly by my MIL) to force her to believe in Santa.
ReplyDeleteWow. It would be really interesting to see a bunch of Santa experiences logged in one place. Cassandra, we all know yours would be in the "Extreme" chapter. Love you!
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