Christmas Activities Abound

I was sure that once December rolled around, I would resume blogging at my normal pace (whatever that is). Alas, it seems I am just as busy now as when I was up late every night working on a novel. But, it is a good kind of busy, and at least I know that the hubbub will die down in a few weeks.

Yesterday, I took the little boys to see Santa. They were very excited. They had a chance to mail him a letter in the special North Pole mail box at the library. In a few weeks, they will receive a handwritten reply (last year, the return letters were so much fun). Then, they each had a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him their requests.

YS repeated the same thing over and over - "a wooden Gordon train" (from the Thomas the Tank engine set). I hope Santa has really good connections because I've tried, in vain, to find the wooden one. However, he shouldn't be too disappointed since he already earned a Take-Along Gordon for his potty training strides (still in pull-ups at night, but does wake and go to the bathroom occasionally).

MS asked for a Batman Bat Cave (not happening, either), a wooden snake (he already has one), a remote control snake (like he wouldn't have that broken in two seconds?), and a REAL VIPERFISH. MS is thoroughly "into" viperfish. So much so, that at a recent Bible study meeting, he slipped away from the sitter and drew a fabulous viperfish, with pen, on the floor of the church gym. Yikes!

Santa first asked what a viperfish was (I can just hear MS's brain clicking with questions like why Santa wouldn't know about viperfish if he can do such magical things as delivering presents to all the good boys and girls of the world, making his reindeer fly, and seeing when you are awake or asleep!) and we explained. Then, poor Santa, tried to tell MS that he couldn't really bring a live viperfish to Indiana because it would die without water. MS suggested he also bring a really large aquarium. How large an aquarium do you think a viperfish would need, I wonder?

At this point, even though I can see questions flitting through MS's mind, he still attempts to justify it all. He observed that it can't be the real Santa, because he is up at the North Pole getting ready for the big day. Then, he wondered aloud how they get the mail up to the North Pole since that is very far away. Finally, at night-time he has been telling me that "Santa is magical."

As for me, seeing my boys with Santa, is magical:




I will have to provide further updates after the weekend because, as I said, Christmas activities abound. Exhausting, but great fun!