Oh how my Kathryn makes me laugh! She is a thinker! This afternoon we went to Daniel's work Christmas party and after food and bowling, the children were gathered around the Christmas tree to sing Christmas carols so that Santa would come. Kathryn is already suspicious, she asks me "The real Santa mom? He lives at the North pole, how is he going to get here?" I tell her that he will come in his sleigh, she gives me her look that says she doesn't believe me. So the kids sing some carols and sure enough, HO HO HO here comes Santa shaking some jingle bells, Tansley is excited although she tells me she doesn't want to see Santa, Kathryn just looks but then does give in to a smile of anticipation when she realizes that Santa is going to hand out presents. He starts calling out names and giving each child a present and treat bag. When Tansley's name is called she is hesitant to go up, but I take her hand and lead her to Santa. She keeps her distance, just close enough to reach the present being offered her and then says thank you, to which Santa says "your welcome". Tansley's eyes light up and she says to me "Santa talks!", for some reason this had never occurred to her before and it was a pleasing revelation. Some time later Kathryn's name is called and she goes up and sits on Santa's knee and smiles for a picture and then says thank you for her present and that was that...for that moment. Later tonight, on our way to the Christmas devotional, Kathryn says to me, "Mom, I don't think that was the real Santa." I asked her why she thought that and she replied "his beard wasn't stuck to his face, he was just dressed up like Santa, and Santa lives at the North pole and there was no sleigh, and he just came while we were singing from that door." OK, she got me, she was right on all of it, what could I say? I said "your right" and then told her it was Santa's helper who came to visit the kids. Well that just opened up a whole new line of questioning. How did he know how to get here? Did Santa give him a map? Does Santa need a map? Santa's helpers are elves, why was he so big? Where does he live? Does Santa's helper have a sleigh too? and on and on and on......What kind of answers am I supposed to give her? So I just say "I'm not sure." and "that's possible". However I know that those answers will not satisfy her for long. She figured out a solution for the "too big elf" dilemma, when the elf (Santa's helper) puts on the Santa clothes it makes him look big, and when he takes them off he gets small again. Sounds good to me. I'm pretty sure Kathryn will have this Santa thing figured out in no time, she thinks too much and usually comes up with the right answers.
