"Santa"

A few weeks ago, Andrew started using 'air quotes.' You know, you put your fingers in a quote position when you are stating something. Explaining to someone WHEN to do that is not an easy task but we have had the opportunity to do that in the past few days.

I mentioned on my previous post that we had a Santa issue again. After that he started asking more and more specific questions. I don't care if people do Santa, don't do Santa...whatever! One reason we have not been more specific before now is that I don't want Andrew to spoil it for others. Last year we did tell him briefly that there is no Santa but he still wanted to believe so we just went with it. We have never marked presents under the tree from him but kind of let Andrew think the stocking was from Santa. Still, even on ones that said, "from mom and dad," he had in his mind were from Santa. We didn't correct him.

Back to last week... He kept asking more and more specific questions. It would have been impossible to perpetuate the myth without outright lying and manufacturing very tall tales. Those who know my kid know that he wants to know SPECIFICS. (And yes we have and do talk about the real St. Nicholas.) So because he kept asking the questions we told him very specifically again that the big red dude in the suit is not real. He was disappointed. I was too a little bit. But I have always had in the back of my mind- if you say Santa and the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are not real- what about Jesus? (We have never done the Tooth Fairy or the Bunny.) Again, if you do Santa in a big way, then that is fine so please don't send me hate mail. I don't judge. I'm just trying to convey how we are navigating this difficult topic.

Yesterday the subject came up again and he was sad. I finally said, "how about we do..."SANTA." I used giant air quotes around "santa". I said, we can pretend. It'll be fun! And it really was a great idea to him and to me. A fun way to keep the dream alive but not lying. He had actually done this with the word santa a few weeks ago... but he didn't quite get what he was doing at the time. Now he does..and it will be fun. I think it is hard to be in a 10 year old body (and mind in some ways), but be emotionally much younger. It is hard to be a mommy to that 10 year old as well!

I think I will post this on the Holiday Bliss meme because I know there are others that struggle with this topic as well. Plus it is yet another way we are trying to navigate Christmas into holiday bliss. It's a wild ride.

Blessings!!!