Oh, I get it now...

In the "how quickly they learn" category goes Christmas (at least in this house).

Here is the Bandit making his list, and checking it twice:



That would be a Playmobile catalogue, for any who are wondering. To his credit, he is also very excited about giving presents. He even mentions thank you notes spontaneously sometimes! Maybe he can remind his dad of that activity.

In fact, when Jonas and Ian came home with J's present for Sam, there was a little bit of a mix-up language-wise.

Jonas: What noise does it (the present) make?
Ian: Careful, you'll give it away.
Jonas: Give it away?! I want Mommy to have it (very upset).
(pause, pause)
Ian: Oh, honey we aren't going to give away the present! I meant that you might spoil the surprise for Mommy.

Oops. Got to watch the metaphorical language.

Of course, there are other parts to the ritual, as well.



Jonas was not at all interested until Xander invited him along. Then things got much better. In fact, they seemed to enjoy their visit with the Jolly Old Elf. But first, the "backstory"...

We have had a running conversation about how there are people who are dressed up as Santa all around at this time of year, and that they aren't the real Santa. I set up this cover story because I was pretty sure that the continuity wasn't going to be tight enough to fool our little detective. I can hear it now: "Daddy, how did Santa get from the mall to downtown so quickly? And why did his voice sound different? Those boots look wrong" etc, etc, etc.

So, anyway, I had this cover story going, and it has been working pretty well. Then we made this plan to meet Xander and family at the Christmas Village in South Hadley. I had this realization on the way -- what if he BLOWS IT for some other little one at the event? Oh the shame, the horror! So quickly, I offer a little coaching.

I: Jonas, I want you to listen to me for a second.
J: What?
I: I don't want you to spoil the surprise for the other little children, so I don't want to you talk about how this is just someone in a costume while we're there, OK?
J: OK Daddy. (Seemingly unconcerned).

So, the event went well. The kids even enjoyed the tractor dressed up as a train engine, with the Christmas carols blaring from a boom box behind the driver while we did laps by the lights set up next to the defunct skate park and the beach side outdoor bandshell that includes warnings about how toxic the river is (no, I didn't make this up).



So, on the way home, I learned that perhaps my coaching hadn't been necessary.

J: I think maybe that was the real Santa.
S: What makes you say that?
J: Well, he asked me what I wanted, and he wasn't too loud. Do you think he was real? I think he was real.

Maybe sometimes the little detectives want to be fooled.

Merry Christmas!