A Visit With Santa

I have a feeling this may be one of our last visits to the guy in the red suit. I can’t believe it since Declan is only 5, but he is starting to figure things out – especially after our discussions about imagination and lying.

Last week we were sitting at the dinner table, talking about Santa, what the kids at school were saying about him… and while looking me straight in the eye, he said:

“Mama, do YOU think Santa is real?”

Holy cats. Talk about a crisis moment. Do I lie? After all this talk about NOT LYING? Do I tell the truth and crush this beautiful fantasy, a fantasy that we’ve barely even begun to enjoy?

I said, “I think he pulls off some pretty amazing things.”

Aimee: 0, Cheap evasive maneuvers: 1.

Apparently my words were enough for him, because the subject died until this evening – when we went to the mall – and our own version of a Christmas miracle happened: the line was short!

We asked Declan if he wanted to see Santa and he nearly peed his pants – telling me: He. still. believes.

So we have this year, at least.

So, what did he ask for, after all that?

One of these:

No Wii, no Heelys, no Transformer Megatron Killing Machine… just a string of letters saying “happy birthday” that cost $1.99.

I seriously love my kid.

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P.S. The photo above is from Bryan’s phone because their picture was fairly crappy. Don’t get me started on the “Overpriced Crappy Santa Photo Plus Stupid Ass Borders” epidemic that has taken over every mall in America. What the hell is that about? I see your equipment, people! It makes me want to take over and change the settings and the lights to get your customers at least SOMETHING close in value to what they are paying! Sheesh!

This article has 36 comments

  1. lauren

    I love that he wants a birthday sign for Xmas!!!

  2. caroline

    well are you getting him the sign or wha?

  3. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Babs, duh, already boughted.

  4. Big Daddy Mitch

    There’s no Santa? What the f$&@?

  5. KreativeMix

    awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!! so cute and adorable 🙂

  6. Alida

    My five year asked, “Mom, you are buying so much stuff…what’s Santa going to bring?”

    “Uh, Santa brings gift only for kids, this stuff is for the grown ups.”

    Whew!

  7. Sizzle

    i love how the photographer in you came out and showed her claws. 😉

  8. Karen

    That is a seriously cute photo and the fact the quality of it is not so good makes it all Christmassy misty in a fuzzy sort of way.

  9. Nancy

    This photo is beautiful … so innocent.

    “Happy Birthday” … Jesus =)

  10. Heather B.

    That is such a cute photo.

  11. Gretchen

    The rule at our house growing up – as long as you believe, he’ll keep coming. I never questioned. Same goes for my kids.

  12. zipper

    That’s the best Xmas present ever!

  13. Mayberry

    I think your answer was perfect!

  14. lil foots mommy

    That picture is sweet. I think he’ll be good for another year at least of “believing”!

  15. sue

    What a cute picture!
    I only remember seeing Santa myself once when I was little and was terrified. Never did take my kids to the “store” santas… they didn’t seem interested.

    They certainly kept the myth alive for the youngest of them all, though… as a matter of fact, we still have a few “santa” gifts that manage to pop up. 😉

  16. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Sue… I appeared in the newspaper as a child on Santa’s lap. There was a photo of an angelic child all happy to be in Santa’s lap and a child screaming her head off, terrified.

    Guess which one I was????

  17. Anonymous

    Adorable photo!

  18. MB

    that photo is amazingly sweet.

  19. Queeny

    I seriously love that kid, too. That’s all he asked for? Amazing!

    Mine want all the other things he didn’t ask for.

    And BTW, my daughter is also figuring things out. She’s asking lots of questions and noticing that every Santa she sees looks different. She referred to one she saw at a store recently as “a phony Santa.”

  20. Amy Barry

    So cute! And actually you can get those banners at Dollar Tree for $1. Would make an easy stocking stuffer:P

    When I started to figure out the Santa thing I think I was 7, I figured it out with the Tooth Fairy first. When asked my Mom’s evasive maneuver was “What do you think?”

  21. nutmeg

    Tell Declan I still hear the bell!

  22. Lisa

    Oh god. I was 7 or 8 years old when I found out. I know this makes me sound like a complete MORON (I was), but I was an extremely sheltered (and gullible) child. I felt so betrayed, I didn’t talk to my dad for a week.

  23. Melissa

    OMG – I think that photo is precious. I think you need to set up your own Santa booth next year and take some kick-ass photos that people will truly love. And Declan can be one of your elves!!!

    btw – I tagged you for a meme. Play along if you’d like.

  24. Amber

    He is sooooooo onto you. Cute picture, BTW.

    Also, I loved the post on the origins of Greeblemonkey. I had always wondered….

  25. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    thanks all! 🙂

    and P.S. Mitch, I burst out laughing.

  26. Sarah

    ha ha, he wants paper letters for Xmas! I love it!

  27. carrie

    So cute! And you know, even though it isn’t “perfect”, I think that photo has a certain charm to it, and you’ll always remember everything from that day when you see it year to year.

  28. soccer mom in denial

    We’ve never done the Santa thing. Between my kids being scared and the tacky/overpriced photos (we take better ones – don’t we?).

    But what an awesome kid you have!! You are all lucky to have each other.

  29. Alpha DogMa

    At this time of the year suddenly the lawyer in me comes out. I can manipulate words and syntax and context and justify to myself “I am NOT lying.” I can rationalize with the best of them! But if push comes to shove and he (just the older one now) asks me flat out…I’m gonna tell the truth. Is that bad?

  30. Andie

    that is too sweet.

  31. Nanette

    Oh, that is just the cutest thing ever! (The requested gift and the pic.)

  32. Doodaddy

    No kidding on the overpriced undervalued, huh? It makes me want to find a volunteer free take-your-own-photos Santa.

    Then again, that sounds creepy.

  33. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Doodaddy – I would think about it (Bryan looks great as Santa) except… think of all those crazed parents… eeks!

  34. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Oh, and thanks for all the nice comments, everyone. You all seriously rule.

  35. Anonymous

    Aim, I gotta tell you what one of my nieces, Val, said. We were leaving Homestead Garden Supply, and she looks at me and says, Hey, I thought Santa drove a sled pulled by 8 tiny reindeer? I said, Yup. She says, Get this: I just saw Santa pull out in a truck!!! I laughed so hard. I said, maybe it’s too warm out for the reindeer. That is the best I could come up with! How lame is that!

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