Naughty or Nice?

The anticipation is thick at our house. The kids are dying for Christmas to get here but I never want it to come. They have been so good this week in a last ditch effort to impress Santa. Miles keeps asking me if he's done more good things than bad things.

It all started last Friday when they saw him in person....

You may be thinking that Miles' giant smile is because he just pulled Santa's beard... He may be a bit naughty but not that naughty.

Apparently this Santa was not out to fool anyone. His beard was like that the whole time. My usual notice-everything kids didn't even mention it. (?) What this Santa did have going for him was all the time in the world. He spoke with each of our older kids for more than five minutes. He asked them all the usual questions with lots of follow up ones. Then Santa started telling us about his four children, twelve grand-children, and one great-grandchild and what they were going to do for Christmas. It was the first time in my life that I wasn't shooed away from Santa so they could keep the line moving. We actually had to initiate the departure.

Natalie was nervous to sit on Santa's lap but the kids told her it was the only way to let him know what she wanted. She sat there petrified until he finished asking her what she wanted. She paused for a long time, took a deep breath, and then blurted out astrollerwithstaps,ababycarseat,andanumbrella. I put the comas in the there so it was a bit more understandable but she strung the whole thing together as fast as she could then bolted off his lap. I wouldn't have made her do it if I'd known she was that scared but after it was over I was proud of her for being so brave.

Incidentally, the reason Natalie wants a baby stroller "with straps" is because her brother cut them off her current one a few months ago. I told you he was a bit naughty.

I have a feeling Santa will still bring Miles what he wants tonight. Unless - Santa decides to revel in the good behavior one more day and tell him Christmas was delayed. Maybe the kids won't notice...