Knowing very well how Charlotte reacts to a giant bearded man shouting "HO HO HO", we've been talking him up a lot the last several days. How nice he is, how he brings you presents, and that he's watching your every move via Gus, his scout elf.
She seems to get excited when "See-ta" is on TV, or if she sees a picture of him somewhere, but in real life it's another story.
Santa came marching into the dining room today and Charlotte was literally trembling. She was so, so scared. I'm not one of those moms who thinks it's hilarious when my kid is terrified. I won't shove her in Santa's lap just so I can get a picture of her crying. I don't try to baby her either, but I just don't think it's necessary for her to be horrified when she need not be.
Then that bastard clown came around and she started to freak out again. I just looked at him, shook my head, and mouthed "noooo." and off he went. You could hear children crying throughout the dining room as Santa and DeeJay the Clown made their rounds. It really was quite comical when you think of it, but it's no fun when your kid is finally eating a plate full of food for the first time in days, and then she's so scared she won't swallow her broccoli. I kept smelling her butt to see if she pooped, but it was just her disgusting chewed broccoli mixed with tears and snot breath. Such a magical day.
But really, in all honesty, it was a lot of fun. I took Charlotte into the room where Santa was greeting kids, and we just watched for a while. She saw that he was giving them gifts (the members gave ideas for the kids so they all got a gift picked out especially for them), and once the line was down, we walked up together and talked to him. She even said hi.
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| so, I hear you have presents. |
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| Lena didn't cry about sleep ALL day. Even at bedtime. Santa is magic. |
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| Today Charlotte learned that if a scary man gives you a present, you no longer need to be scared. terrible message. |
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| We get dressed up for a family picture and this is the best one we get. |
This evening before Charlotte went to bed we talked about her day, and she recalled that Santa gave her a gift (Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck bath squirt toys) and I realized I should probably teach her about the real meaning of Christmas, since we keep missing church and whatnot. We sang a few Christmas songs, and I taught her the motions to Away in a Manger. I know it sounds really corny, but it was a really sweet ending to the day. Especially since she had just thrown a tantrum of epic proportions about changing into her pajamas.
Did you believe in Santa growing up, or when did you find out it was a big fat giant hoax?
What do you mean - giant hoax? Are you telling me it's not true?
ReplyDeleteI knew I'd end up blowing it for someone. So your answer is "today. Today you found out it was a hoax."
DeleteI think about the hidden messages ALL the time!
ReplyDeleteHalloween- go to a stranger's house and ask for candy. Then take said candy and eat it.
Santa- sit on a costumed stranger's lap and he'll give you toys.
Easter Bunny- sit on another costumed stranger's lap and he'll give you a basket of eggs.
Disney Characters- run up to costumed strangers and give them a hug.
When we tell them, "don't talk to strangers", we are really saying, "don't talk to strangers unless they're all covered up and we don't know how creapy they really are." It must be confusing to be a child.
As for your question about Santa, the neighbor kid told me Santa wasn't real, jerk. I didn't even have a good comeback. I just asked if there was a Jewish fairy.
ha, good one! :)
DeleteI don't recall ever believing in Santa. That's why I wasn't sure we'd raise our kids that way. But I can't resist.