The gig is up.
I think she has known who Santa Claus really is for years, but became more lax about putting up a pretense as she became older. Last year, we spent Christmas in a hotel room and she hung her stocking up on the television--the electronic hearth. When she went through her loot in the morning, she said it was like Santa had been following her around the past few days and bought her everything she admired (including Belle).
A few months ago, she let it slip for real. She used Santa and Dada interchangeably while we were sewing together one afternoon. Then she realized what she had done. She commanded, "Don't tell dada!"
Tonight, we went through the ritual of hanging up her stocking on the fireplace mantel. I asked her if she's been good or bad.
"Good enough.", she replied quickly.
I am not so sure about that. I am still trying to locate a adoptive family for her.
Bad Dad, the old softy, has already filled the stocking with presents.
In case you missed it, I've tagged the full Santa Chronicles series.
I've also figured out the discrepancy between my answer and NORAD's. I don't see Santa Claus' workshop because his workshop is exactly at the North Pole. I work with sun-synchronous weather satellites that do not go over the North Pole. (They have a slight inclination of ~8 degrees offset from the poles.) Thus, I have a data gap at the North Pole. No wonder I have never seen his workshop.
The folks at NORAD are privy to imagery from more satellites. If they say that they saw Santa's workshop, I am sure they did. They've even captured Santa on film!
Visit NORAD Santa.
Merry Christmas
Showing posts with label Santa Claus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Claus. Show all posts
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Santa Chronicles III
We have been so swamped, we forgot to light the Hanukkah candles for the first two nights of Hanukkah. Then we couldn't find any candles at our local grocery store or drugstore. (We found them at Whole Foods.)
Truth be told, Iris is not too happy about our upcoming trip to New Zealand. To get affordable (to us) airfares, we need to catch a red-eye leaving Los Angeles on December 23. Flying east, across the international dateline, we skip Christmas eve and land in Auckland on Christmas day. Iris is bereft.
How will Santa find Iris? No airplane we know has a chimney. I don't think he can come in through the jet engine exhaust; that sounds kind of dangerous. We will just have to hope that Santa's magic will overcome all obstacles.
(Never mind all that stuff about how you have to be good to get a visit from Santa.)
I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't think Santa is real. Read The Santa Chronicles and The Santa Chronicles II. A smart kid would rightly guess that the minute she lets on that she doesn't believe in Santa, the presents stop. The real act isn't for the parents to pretend that Santa exists. It is for the child to convince the parents that she still believes. That said, Mark has asked Santa for a blu-ray player for Christmas.
All is not bah humbug at Chez Bad Mom. We have been counting down the days at NORAD Santa (website available in many languages). This year, you will have to download Google Earth in order to Track Santa. We did that. While waiting for the big event, the website has many games and puzzles for children.
Aside:
NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, a joint venture between the US and Canada. Since 1955, they have used radar and satellites to track Santa's journey around the world. The annual "video" footage is hilarious.
Truth be told, Iris is not too happy about our upcoming trip to New Zealand. To get affordable (to us) airfares, we need to catch a red-eye leaving Los Angeles on December 23. Flying east, across the international dateline, we skip Christmas eve and land in Auckland on Christmas day. Iris is bereft.
How will Santa find Iris? No airplane we know has a chimney. I don't think he can come in through the jet engine exhaust; that sounds kind of dangerous. We will just have to hope that Santa's magic will overcome all obstacles.
(Never mind all that stuff about how you have to be good to get a visit from Santa.)
I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't think Santa is real. Read The Santa Chronicles and The Santa Chronicles II. A smart kid would rightly guess that the minute she lets on that she doesn't believe in Santa, the presents stop. The real act isn't for the parents to pretend that Santa exists. It is for the child to convince the parents that she still believes. That said, Mark has asked Santa for a blu-ray player for Christmas.
All is not bah humbug at Chez Bad Mom. We have been counting down the days at NORAD Santa (website available in many languages). This year, you will have to download Google Earth in order to Track Santa. We did that. While waiting for the big event, the website has many games and puzzles for children.
Aside:
NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, a joint venture between the US and Canada. Since 1955, they have used radar and satellites to track Santa's journey around the world. The annual "video" footage is hilarious.
Friday, December 22, 2006
The Santa Chronicles 2006
The Santa Chronicles continues. Click here to read the beginning of the Santa Chronicles. Click here to read Santa Chronicles II.
She had been agitating for a specific Bratz Rock Angels doll. I dislike Bratz even more than Barbie. (In fact, I have softened considerably to Barbie since watching the 'Barbie Princess and the Pauper' movie in which Barbie saves her kingdom from financial ruin with her geological prowess.) I told her to save up for the Bratz Rock Angel in question. At the time, that seemed to be the thing she most wanted so I dispatched Mark to the store after bedtime to secretly buy it for her.
Iris wrote to Santa what she most wished for in the whole world. She didn't want to tell anyone what she wished lest that spoil her chances of receiving it. Then she finally let on to her dad what she asked for. She wanted not one, but two dolls! One doll was the one we had already bought and hidden away, but she also wanted the My Scene Lindsay Lohan doll.
Oma searched the stores and came up empty. The internet failed us. Besides, even if we could find it online, it would not arrive in time. I tried to talk her out of it. I asked, how could Santa bring you the Lindsay Lohan doll when we haven't seen it in any stores? She said that Santa has ways. Besides, the elves can make anything that kids really want.
While waiting in a doctor's office this afternoon, I conversed with a sixth grade girl. She told me that the doll could be found at Toys R Us. I asked if she meant My Scene dolls in general or the Lindsay Lohan doll in particular. She thought a minute and said she was sure she saw the Lindsy Lohan doll. I called Mark right away by cell phone and he braved the crush at Toys R Us. Alas, the rumor was not true.
A friend told me about how she lined up at 6am in order to buy her daughter a Cabbage Patch doll in the 1980's. I marveled at her motherly dedication and decided that I would never do that.
This year, Iris will have to learn about the fallibility of Santa Claus. But perhaps we shall send Mark to the Mattel store at opening tomorrow...
We already had one miracle today. Mark asked me to try to buy more Hanukkah candles today as we did not have enough for tonight. I turned the box upside down and found exactly 9 candles!
She had been agitating for a specific Bratz Rock Angels doll. I dislike Bratz even more than Barbie. (In fact, I have softened considerably to Barbie since watching the 'Barbie Princess and the Pauper' movie in which Barbie saves her kingdom from financial ruin with her geological prowess.) I told her to save up for the Bratz Rock Angel in question. At the time, that seemed to be the thing she most wanted so I dispatched Mark to the store after bedtime to secretly buy it for her.
Iris wrote to Santa what she most wished for in the whole world. She didn't want to tell anyone what she wished lest that spoil her chances of receiving it. Then she finally let on to her dad what she asked for. She wanted not one, but two dolls! One doll was the one we had already bought and hidden away, but she also wanted the My Scene Lindsay Lohan doll.
Oma searched the stores and came up empty. The internet failed us. Besides, even if we could find it online, it would not arrive in time. I tried to talk her out of it. I asked, how could Santa bring you the Lindsay Lohan doll when we haven't seen it in any stores? She said that Santa has ways. Besides, the elves can make anything that kids really want.
While waiting in a doctor's office this afternoon, I conversed with a sixth grade girl. She told me that the doll could be found at Toys R Us. I asked if she meant My Scene dolls in general or the Lindsay Lohan doll in particular. She thought a minute and said she was sure she saw the Lindsy Lohan doll. I called Mark right away by cell phone and he braved the crush at Toys R Us. Alas, the rumor was not true.
A friend told me about how she lined up at 6am in order to buy her daughter a Cabbage Patch doll in the 1980's. I marveled at her motherly dedication and decided that I would never do that.
This year, Iris will have to learn about the fallibility of Santa Claus. But perhaps we shall send Mark to the Mattel store at opening tomorrow...
We already had one miracle today. Mark asked me to try to buy more Hanukkah candles today as we did not have enough for tonight. I turned the box upside down and found exactly 9 candles!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The Santa Chronicles II
Iris has started making wishes to Santa a week or more ago. When I asked her what she wished for, she said that she couldn't tell me, or else she wouldn't get her wish. Somehow, the breakfast conversation came back to Santa yesterday. How many people live and work at Santa's workshop at the North Pole?I told her that, frankly, Santa's workshop does not show up on any of the satellite imagery.
She asked how Santa could not be seen by the satellite?
I told her that it must be Santa's magic.
She said, "Oh, it must be like Santa's magic book. He opens it up and he can see your name and whether you are good or bad. It has to be a magic book to have everyone's names in it," while using her hands to show that it is not a very large book.
Past posts: The Santa Chronicles
Addendum
NORADSanta calls me a liar. They claim to track Santa via satellites. They must be privy to satellite imagery that I can't get.
Monday, December 26, 2005
The Santa Chronicles
One of Iris' playmates heard from her older sister that Santa Claus is not real. Of course, this new knowledge was shared with the younger's playmates. Iris asked me if this news is true. I turned it around and asked her what she thought. She replied, "I think I want to believe in Santa Claus for one more year."
A couple of days later, she came and told me that Santa Claus must be real. I asked her how she knew that. She said that Santa brought her what she wanted most in the whole world, Barbie stuff. Her mommy would never buy her Barbie.
Yesterday, while trying to get her to clean up the living room before bedtime, I asked her if she was being good or bad. Without missing a beat, she quipped, "Santa came, so I must have been good."
keywords: modern motherhood
A couple of days later, she came and told me that Santa Claus must be real. I asked her how she knew that. She said that Santa brought her what she wanted most in the whole world, Barbie stuff. Her mommy would never buy her Barbie.
Yesterday, while trying to get her to clean up the living room before bedtime, I asked her if she was being good or bad. Without missing a beat, she quipped, "Santa came, so I must have been good."
keywords: modern motherhood
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