runlikejoy

Displaced Stay At Home Californian in rural N. Carolina

The Many Faces of Joy

The Many Faces of Joy

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

December

It is December 1st and today kicks off what I like to refer to as "the worst 24 days of your kids lives where they drive you crazy and you overuse that Santa Might Be Watching You threat way too many times."  People pull out that elf on the shelf which in my opinion was the smartest marketing ploy EVER and overuse it like crazy so their kids think that someone is watching them.  And churches double down on both Santa and Jesus.  The best part is that they don't act any better, if anything they are worse.

About a month ago my 8 year old lost one of her pre-molars at school and proudly carried it home in a little bag.  As we were sitting in the car waiting for her sister to get out of school she asked me earnestly if the Tooth Fairy really was something or if it was Mom and Dad?  She is 8 years old.  Thanks to having a sister 2 years older than me I didn't have to guess when it came to Santa, The Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny, she was more than happy to help debunk those myths early on.  But my 11 year old has helped keep the dream alive even though she knows where all money, gifts and other stuff comes from.  I was in the hot seat.

I made an executive decision and I nodded in agreement and said, "yes, the Tooth Fairy is Mommy and Daddy" and immediately her face crumpled and she looked ready to weep.  Good choice Mommy, you just ruined her life.  And then she said, "What about Santa?".  I couldn't throw Santa under the bus too, I had to hang onto Santa because it was November and I still needed Santa to get me through December.  So I wimped out and I said something lame about Santa being real to those who believe him and changed the subject really fast.

Happy December everyone.  And don't install Windows 10 no matter how many ads you get.