The Difference Between Santas

I have to admit, I slacked off this year... It wasn't EXACTLY slacking so much as trying not to spend money, but I didn't take the kids to the mall to have their picture taken with Santa. I knew we'd have other opportunities to take pictures with Santa, they just wouldn't be 'professional'. And after having pictures of Little A crying on Santa's lap the past two years, I figured I'd wait just a bit longer, even though she PROMISED that she wouldn't be afraid of Santa this year (and she hasn't been!).

Our first opportunity to see Santa came at the tree lighting but our decision to not tackle the crowd of people at the fire house made it so we saw him only long enough to shake his hand. Both kids seized the opportunity and Little A was SO proud of herself for not being afraid of Santa.

When we went to the Lighted Tractor Parade we saw TONS of Santas. I wondered afterwards why neither kid had commented on the number of Santas we'd seen and wondered what they must be thinking. Did they think they were all Santa (like he kept getting on each different 'float')? Did they think they were Santa's helpers? Were they too enthralled with everything else to even think about how many Santas they'd seen? Who knows, but nothing was ever said about it.

Last week the kids had their school Christmas show and afterwards Santa was there.

Big A walked right up to this Santa and without missing a beat asked him, "Are you one of Santa's helpers?" Why? What was it about this Santa that makes him not the real Santa?

The next evening our city was doing their annual Santa Parade and toy collection (for Toys for Tots). I had a board meeting that night and decided not to try to take the kids to see Santa before the meeting. Good thing, because Santa was a no-show in our neighborhood.

Then Sunday, the mother's club had their annual holiday party complete with Santa and firetrucks and toys and candy canes and... You get the point, it was FUN!

Neither kid made any comment about this Santa and whether he was the real deal or a helper but the next night, something came up that made me ask them. The kids and I went out to look at some Christmas lights and one of the houses had a Santa in the driveway. We pulled up to the driveway and Little A hollered, "Merry Christmas!" Santa made his way to the car and asked the kids if they'd been good and if they wanted toys and then asked me if they could have candy canes. I said yes and he went to go get them. He returned to the car with a toy and a candy cane for each child and then he stood and talked to them for a minute about what they wanted for Christmas. It was at this point that I realized that this Santa WREAKED like cigarettes and the longer he stood there, the more our car smelled. Thank GOODNESS the kids didn't say anything!

After wishing Santa a Merry Christmas we drove off. As we did, I assured the kids that there was NO WAY that could have been the real Santa because that guy smelled like cigarettes, and Santa doesn't smoke. They agreed that he was indeed one of Santa's helpers. Then I said, "Well what about that Santa last night?" Now keep in mind... Santa was played by one of our friends from church and there were three of us at the party who were concerned that our kids MIGHT catch on but none of them said a WORD, so I was completely convinced that they had NO idea who Santa was. The conversation went like this (as I nearly drove off the road...):

Big A: "OH YEAH! HE WAS THE REAL SANTA!"

Little A: "Mr. Mark Santa Claus???" (Here's where I drove off the road...)

Big A (laughing): "Mr. Mark Santa Claus?"

Me (swallowing my gasp): "What do you mean, Little A? What are you talking about? Why did you say that?"

Big A (laughing): "Yeah, Little A... Why did you say Mr. Mark Santa Claus?"

Little A: "Because Mr. Mark was at church last night. Mr. Mark Santa Claus."

Big A (laughing): "Mr. Mark Santa Claus! That's funny! Mr. Mark Santa Claus."

Me: "What do you mean?"

Little A: "Mr. Mark was at church."

Big A: "Mommy! She's lying! She's lying about that. Why is she lying?"

Little A (laughing): "Mr. Mark Santa Claus. Mr. Mark Santa Claus."

Me: "WOW! Look at THOSE Christmas Lights!"

Okay... So we may have been caught, but it was dropped and one believes that Mr. Mark Santa Claus was indeed the real deal, but what is the difference in all of these Santas? What makes Mr. Mark Santa Claus any more real than the Santa in the Welcome Center after the school show? These are the times that I really wish I could be inside those kids' heads, you know???