lying to your kids about santa
Tate asked me this morning if today was Christmas. It’s November 26th. It’s going to be a long month. Especially since my kids won’t stop grilling me about Santa. Below, actual questions I’ve fielded about Santa in the last two weeks, and my actual responses.
Q: “Is Santa real?” A: “What do you mean by ‘real’?”
Q: “Is the Santa I saw last year for pictures real?” A: “He was kind of real.”
Q: “If that Santa is not real, who is he?” A: “He’s the real Santa’s brother.”
Q: “What about the Santa we saw at Lloyd Center, was he also Santa’s brother?” A: “Yes.”
Q: “Can Santa fit down a chimney?” A: “Yes he’s very flexible and squishy. Like playdough.”
Q: “Can Santa fit down a chimney that has a wood stove, like ours?” A: “Usually. But sometimes he needs to use the front door.”
Q: “How does he open the door to the wood stove from the inside?” A: “There’s a handle on the inside.”
Q: “How does Santa get to every house in the world in one night?” A: “He flies super fast. Plus, the concept of time is malleable.”
Q: “What is a malleable?” A: “It’s something that’s very bendy.”
Q: “How does Rindy (my kids’ elf on a shelf) fly back to Santa every night if he can’t move?” A: “He can move. He just can’t move while you are looking. And he gets picked up by Rudolph.”
Q: “We left 8 carrots on the plate last year for the reindeer but there were three left. Why didn’t the other reindeer eat the carrots?” A: “What the hell? I don’t know. But carrots give you night vision so you guys should try eating one sometime.”
Q: “How powerful is Rudolph’s nose?” A: “Powerful enough, buddy. Powerful enough.”
Q: “How does Santa eat all the cookies that all the kids leave for him?” A: “Santa doesn’t eat for days beforehand.”
Q: “How can he do all that work on Christmas eve just by eating cookies when you say cookies have no protein?” A: “Well he has to stay awake all night and there’s a lot of sugar in the cookies and sugar can be good in situations like that.”
Q: “Well maybe he would like meatballs instead. Do you think he would like meatballs?” A: “I’m pretty sure ‘Santa’ would love meatballs.”
Q: “Where do all the elves live?” A: “In apartments.”
Q: “The North Pole has apartments?” A: “Yes.”
Q: “If I wake up on Christmas Eve and come downstairs, will I see Santa and be scared?” A: “Maybe. That’s why you should never wake up in the middle of the night.”