santa

Brianna will turning 8 next month. I thought for sure that this was the year that she would be asking me the Santa question. I'd even started thinking of ways to answer her. Then a few weeks ago she came and asked me about the chimney. (yes we have a chimney. In Arizona) She asked if we were ever going to turn it on. I told her that if it got cold enough, we would. Then she said, "Well, just make sure to turn it off the night that Santa comes". It took me a second to respond and I assured her it wouldn't be on at that time. Since then she's been thinking of what kind of cookies to leave out for him. She asks about whether she should leave him coffee or milk, what kind of milk and if she could leave a notepad out so that he could sign it for her. I think it's really cute. Also, I need the leverage. I love being able to say that Santa is watching and making a list. It guarantees good behavior for a short while. Yes, I lie to my kids. So what? The same thing was done to us.
Anyway, yesterday a nearby photography place went around the neighborhood and hung little garland loops and one of their fliers on the door knobs. When Alec and I walked out to go get Brianna from school, he saw it. Alright! It couldn't have come at a better time! He was shocked and of course thought it was Santa's doing. I told him that he was going around checking in on the kids in the houses. The whole walk to the school Alec would be looking at the doors checking whether they also had garland or not. Sure enough, they all did. Once he saw Brianna, he immediately told her what had happened. There were green, white, and only one red garland. Once we got home, Brianna explained the colors. Green garland was put on houses where the kids are on the good list. White for the so-so kids and red (only one house) for the bad kids. Uh-huh. Guess which one we had. . . .



- a-hem. nevermind the camera strap in the picture (blush)

feeling: still hot!
listening to: The Raconteurs (Level)