I have been lucky so far... Johnny still seems to believe in Santa. We didn't take him to see Santa at the mall last year because he was afraid of costumed characters (the Nittany Lion scared him half to death at the time) and so he didn't really seem to care whether or not there was a Santa and what he supposedly did. This year however, Johnny has gotten over his fear of people who are dressed up. He directly asked the Nittany Lion at a hockey game earlier this year, "Did you eat someone?" because he could see the person inside of the lion's mouth since that is how the poor guy is supposed to see. Johnny was so casual and conversational about it, as if the answer being "yes" wouldn't phase him in the slightest. The Nittany Lion couldn't help but laugh, even though he isn't supposed to make any sound, and he gave Johnny a high-five before moving on.
Anyway, all of this is to say that we took Johnny to meet Santa this year. After a nice half hour wait, (which isn't that bad, honestly) we were able to have our turn. Parents aren't supposed to film or take pictures of kids with Santa, because the mall makes money off of the photo packages they sell. Well, I didn't have the money and honestly didn't care so much about a photo as I did capturing the conversation my highly inquisitive son would likely be having with Saint Nick. So, I held my phone in my pocket with the camera lens exposed and filmed it that way. The quality of the film it's self is horrible, but I was indeed able to catch the quite awesome first-encounter moment.
Our Santa was perhaps the most amazing one ever! Despite it being quite a while past the end of his shift by the time our end of the line finally tromped through, the man was jovial and enthusiastic. He was incredibly sweet, and he took plenty of time to chat with each kid. These are my favorite parts from their conversation:
Johnny: "I'm Johnny."
Santa: "I knew what your name was. Didn't you think I knew what your name was?"
Johnny: "Did you know I'm on your list?"
Santa: "You're on my good list! Did you know that?"
Johnny: "What's on your bad list?"
Santa: "Bad list? Oh, I usually don't have a bad list."
Johnny: "Then where's your bad list?"
Santa: "Everybody has been good this year! Do you know what you want for Christmas?"
Johnny: "Uh huh."
~ * ~
Santa: "Tell me what you want for Christmas."
Johnny: "Did you know I give you some wrapping paper for presents? Angry Birds..."
Santa: "No! Do you really?"
*** I proceeded to explain that Johnny wants to send up wrapping paper so that Santa could wrap his presents in the special Angry Birds wrapping paper we found at the store. Note: this was entirely Johnny's idea, but I love it, because it means I don't have to get different paper for him. He is, after all, the kind of kid who would catch on to things if his presents were all wrapped in the same paper we used to wrap all of the family's gifts! Last year everything Santa brought him was wrapped in purple paper, so he knew exactly what was his and was still able to be a part of the wrapping process for the gifts we were giving. I really want to make sure that each Christmas, Johnny is as involved in the giving as he is in the receiving of presents, if not, more so.
~ * ~
Santa: "What would you like for Christmas?"
Johnny: "Angry Birds"
Santa: "What else?"
Johnny: "Angry Birds Star Wars, Lego Angry Birds..."
Santa: "Did you make a list?"
Johnny: "Yes"
Santa: "We'll take a look at it, okay? And can I bring you some stuff that's not on your list? Can I surprise you?"
Johnny: "You bring something that's not on my list, okay?"
~ * ~
Santa: "Do you got a stocking? Did you put a Christmas stocking up?"
Johnny: "We have a stocking. And guess what? You can also put them under the tree! If you don't have room..."
Santa: "Okay, alright."
~ * ~
Santa, handing Johnny an ornament: "Here you go, buddy. Look at this! Easy on it, tell mommy this will fall out of there (the backing)... you can put a picture in it and hang it on your tree."
Johnny, bringing the ornament to mommy, 2 feet away: "This will fall out of here. This will fall out."
After I turned off the camera, Johnny proceeded to go back to Santa and remind him: "But REMEMBER! Christmas is on twenty-five, okay? You come and bring presents to open on twenty-five. Remember, okay?"
I love my little guy so much! His repetitive speech, trying to both process information himself and make sure everyone else understands, his obsessive interests, the need to reassure himself and everyone else that things are exactly the way they should be... he is too cute! By his age, I had spent half of my life not believing in Santa. I literally called the guy out who tried to pass himself off as the old man. I told him that if he was Santa, (he was really the neighbor's uncle stopping for a surprise visit, and was sent over for the girl next-door as well because they thought it would be nice: little did they know) then he should be able to tell me what I asked for at the mall. I also wanted to know where his reindeer were, why he wasn't at the North Pole working like he should be, and why he would go anywhere without his sleigh. The poor guy had no idea he would be facing the Spanish Inquisition when he came to talk to a 2-year-old, but seeing him solidified my non-belief. My sisters, as a result of growing up with a very black-and-white minded older sibling, were never really given the chance to believe in Santa themselves. I was too young to understand that I was ruining something special for them, and just felt that people shouldn't lie because lying is bad.
Luckily my little dude hasn't figured all of this out yet. I seriously do believe that he would pick up on it if we took him to a different Santa after having met this other guy, and using the same wrapping paper would totally tip him off if it weren't for the fact that he himself decided to send some to Santa so that he could have the Angry Birds gift wrap he picked out for everyone else. After all, he did call out the Nittany Lion already. Most kids I know in this town didn't realize that there was a person inside of that suit until they were much older. That, or they saw the man inside (like my aunt did) and were scared to death of the lion that eats people.
At leasts for this year, Johnny believes in Santa. I will be interested to see when and how he comes to the realization that the wonderful man we met at the mall was in fact a guy named Frank who spends the rest of his year enjoying his retirement, here in State College.
Anyway, all of this is to say that we took Johnny to meet Santa this year. After a nice half hour wait, (which isn't that bad, honestly) we were able to have our turn. Parents aren't supposed to film or take pictures of kids with Santa, because the mall makes money off of the photo packages they sell. Well, I didn't have the money and honestly didn't care so much about a photo as I did capturing the conversation my highly inquisitive son would likely be having with Saint Nick. So, I held my phone in my pocket with the camera lens exposed and filmed it that way. The quality of the film it's self is horrible, but I was indeed able to catch the quite awesome first-encounter moment.
Our Santa was perhaps the most amazing one ever! Despite it being quite a while past the end of his shift by the time our end of the line finally tromped through, the man was jovial and enthusiastic. He was incredibly sweet, and he took plenty of time to chat with each kid. These are my favorite parts from their conversation:
Johnny: "I'm Johnny."
Santa: "I knew what your name was. Didn't you think I knew what your name was?"
Johnny: "Did you know I'm on your list?"
Santa: "You're on my good list! Did you know that?"
Johnny: "What's on your bad list?"
Santa: "Bad list? Oh, I usually don't have a bad list."
Johnny: "Then where's your bad list?"
Santa: "Everybody has been good this year! Do you know what you want for Christmas?"
Johnny: "Uh huh."
~ * ~
Santa: "Tell me what you want for Christmas."
Johnny: "Did you know I give you some wrapping paper for presents? Angry Birds..."
Santa: "No! Do you really?"
*** I proceeded to explain that Johnny wants to send up wrapping paper so that Santa could wrap his presents in the special Angry Birds wrapping paper we found at the store. Note: this was entirely Johnny's idea, but I love it, because it means I don't have to get different paper for him. He is, after all, the kind of kid who would catch on to things if his presents were all wrapped in the same paper we used to wrap all of the family's gifts! Last year everything Santa brought him was wrapped in purple paper, so he knew exactly what was his and was still able to be a part of the wrapping process for the gifts we were giving. I really want to make sure that each Christmas, Johnny is as involved in the giving as he is in the receiving of presents, if not, more so.
~ * ~
Santa: "What would you like for Christmas?"
Johnny: "Angry Birds"
Santa: "What else?"
Johnny: "Angry Birds Star Wars, Lego Angry Birds..."
Santa: "Did you make a list?"
Johnny: "Yes"
Santa: "We'll take a look at it, okay? And can I bring you some stuff that's not on your list? Can I surprise you?"
Johnny: "You bring something that's not on my list, okay?"
~ * ~
Santa: "Do you got a stocking? Did you put a Christmas stocking up?"
Johnny: "We have a stocking. And guess what? You can also put them under the tree! If you don't have room..."
Santa: "Okay, alright."
~ * ~
Santa, handing Johnny an ornament: "Here you go, buddy. Look at this! Easy on it, tell mommy this will fall out of there (the backing)... you can put a picture in it and hang it on your tree."
Johnny, bringing the ornament to mommy, 2 feet away: "This will fall out of here. This will fall out."
After I turned off the camera, Johnny proceeded to go back to Santa and remind him: "But REMEMBER! Christmas is on twenty-five, okay? You come and bring presents to open on twenty-five. Remember, okay?"
I love my little guy so much! His repetitive speech, trying to both process information himself and make sure everyone else understands, his obsessive interests, the need to reassure himself and everyone else that things are exactly the way they should be... he is too cute! By his age, I had spent half of my life not believing in Santa. I literally called the guy out who tried to pass himself off as the old man. I told him that if he was Santa, (he was really the neighbor's uncle stopping for a surprise visit, and was sent over for the girl next-door as well because they thought it would be nice: little did they know) then he should be able to tell me what I asked for at the mall. I also wanted to know where his reindeer were, why he wasn't at the North Pole working like he should be, and why he would go anywhere without his sleigh. The poor guy had no idea he would be facing the Spanish Inquisition when he came to talk to a 2-year-old, but seeing him solidified my non-belief. My sisters, as a result of growing up with a very black-and-white minded older sibling, were never really given the chance to believe in Santa themselves. I was too young to understand that I was ruining something special for them, and just felt that people shouldn't lie because lying is bad.
Luckily my little dude hasn't figured all of this out yet. I seriously do believe that he would pick up on it if we took him to a different Santa after having met this other guy, and using the same wrapping paper would totally tip him off if it weren't for the fact that he himself decided to send some to Santa so that he could have the Angry Birds gift wrap he picked out for everyone else. After all, he did call out the Nittany Lion already. Most kids I know in this town didn't realize that there was a person inside of that suit until they were much older. That, or they saw the man inside (like my aunt did) and were scared to death of the lion that eats people.
At leasts for this year, Johnny believes in Santa. I will be interested to see when and how he comes to the realization that the wonderful man we met at the mall was in fact a guy named Frank who spends the rest of his year enjoying his retirement, here in State College.
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