Flashback #3

We used to live in Utah...specifically, near Hill AFB. Needless to say, there was a lot of air traffic. This is a repost (copy/paste job) from an old live journal entry I posted Dec. 8, 2006. K was 6, S was 3 and Z was 1.

If there's a hell...I'm going. Especially after today. I lied to my child. I didn't just lie. I lied about Santa. Yes, I realize that telling them about Santa is a lie in itself, but I do think Santa teaches a lesson. Not one about your parents lying to you, but about giving and kindness. Also if you want people to be nice to you, you need to be nice to other people. So, for that reason, we incorporate Santa into our holiday celebrations. Anyway,S is a typical 3 year old boy. He's a pain most of the time, he's also loving and affectionate, but it's mostly all about destroying things, antagonizing his sisters and pushing the limits that J and I set. He's a 3 year old boy. Anyway, I had tried before to explain to him that if he doesn't listen to what mommy and daddy say, Santa probably won't bring him a race car for Christmas. He didn't seem to care. Today while we were getting ready to go to Sam's Club, I decided to try a new tactic. I told him about how "Santa knows" How Santa knows if you've been naughty or good,that he can see everything you do (ok, so I invoked a little Jesus fear there, I'm going to hell anyway, does it really matter?!) Well being the little smart ass he is (yes, I am aware that he is my child.) He said that if he hid,Santa couldn't see him. So he went and hid under J's computer desk. I said "oh S...Santa can still see you. Santa wears special glasses that help him see everything" Anyway, we got out to the van and he was alright, but by the time we arrived at Sam's Club he was acting up a little bit. I said "S,remember...Santa knows". At that very moment, I heard the jets coming in from bombing practice. I gasped and said "oh S! Do you HEAR that?! what's that sound? do you think that's Santa's sleigh or do you think it's just a silly jet?". His eyes got SO WIDE! he said "where's Santa mommy?". I said "I'm not sure, I wonder if he was flying by to do a 'spot check', just to see if you're being really good" He said "I can HEAR him mommy but i can't SEE him. Where IS he?". I said "oh honey,sometimes Santa's sleigh flies so fast you can't see it...sometimes you can only hear it". Oh my bob... he BELIEVED ME! he fell for it hook, line and sinker. I am so proud of myself. I thought I was going to have to resort to telling him that Santa was going to club seals with Baby Jesus or something. Man, oh man, even if he's only well behaved for the rest of today...that trip to hell is going to be SO worth it.