Top Secret Mission Santa Claus
December 22, 2008 8:00p.m.
It’s bedtime for Jacob and Jackson. It’s getting closer to the big day, the day when the “real” Santa Claus will come to town. Ever since last year, the kids have been skeptical and think that Aron and I are Santa. It was a sad day for me. Jackson tells Aron that they are going to stay up all night tonight. I guess to train for Christmas Eve so they can catch this elusive Santa Claus. The one that all parents claim is “real”. Aron bets him $30.00 each that they can’t stay up all night, and I bet them $5.00 additional. They were up till 10:20.
December 23, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Bedtime again for the boys. Tonight the pot is sweetened. Jackson wants double, $70.00 each to stay up all night because tonight is the night they will really make it. They were up until 10:40.
December 24, 2008 8:00 p.m.
It’s bedtime on Christmas Eve. After a long day of Church, wrapping Christmas gifts and dog proofing the yard for India’s first visit with Aunt Gina, the boys begin to implement their wisely crafted plan that took a whole year to finely tune. To afraid that Aron and I would tell Santa or be Santa, neither of the boys would tell us their plan all year. So, we left them alone to carry out their plans in the living room. After a good hour went by and the thump-thump-thump of little feet running up and down the hallway was over, I went out the living room to tuck the kids in. I thought I would be ushered out of the lair they had created but instead was greeted by two special agents all too happy to tell me what was to happen tonight. Jacob takes the lead and is gushing with information for me. They placed hot wheel cars on an alarm pad in front of the fireplace under the stockings. I ask why and Jacob makes a motion like he’s Santa and is pulling gifts out of his sack on his back and placing them in stockings, as he continues to tell me that Santa will slip in the cars and snow from his boot with fall on the alarm pad causing it to sound off. His exuberance is something I rarely see and it warms my heart. Jacob is usually just so even tempered, a happy-go-lucky type of kid with a quiet confidence that is truly a unique and special moment for me. Which prompts me to ask the question, “Do you believes in Santa?” Jackson immediately answers that he probably isn’t real and that Aron and I are the true Santa. Jacob surprises me and with a wave of his hand from side to side says he’s not sure. Oh joy, a little magic is brought back into the house. My big boy of eight years may still believe. Let’s get back the plan. Jacob then shows me how the strategically placed the cookies, carrots (for the reindeer) and eggnog on the side table in the corner of the living room behind the couch. Jacob was to sleep in his sleeping bag behind the couch and in front of the table while Jackson was to sleep in front of the couch. That way Santa would have difficulty getting to the cookies and nog and would most likely wake them up in doing so. Jackson then shows me the ultimate in gear for hunting a Santa. All nerf guns and Spiderman web thrower were loaded and hidden under the couch. They were going to shoot Santa! Yickes. Now you are probably wondering what they are going to do when they catch him, and so was I so I asked. I was told that Jacob would hold him in the living room with the end of nerf gun pointed squarely at him while Jackson came to wake Aron and me up so we could also see this legend, this superstar of Christmas. Now I know why it took a year to plan. It was well thought out. So, now knowing the plan Aron and I went to bed and the boys tried their hardest to stay up but finally fell asleep around 11:00. While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads, visions of an excited 8 year old boy who may still believe danced in mine.
December 25 4:30 a.m.
Shasta whines at the door to go out. I let her out. Then, the soft, unsure footsteps of a six year old boy stop by my bedside. I roll over and its Jackson telling me that Santa came and left and they didn’t catch him even though he was awake all night. It’s the middle of the night so I don’t argue about this detail but decide to follow him out to the living room so we can see how good or bad he’s been this year. Apparently, he was very good and tells me so as he’s half way into his stocking. Then we wake up Jacob so we can see if he’s been as good and he was. We then discover that Santa did manage to get his cookies without waking the boys. He ate most of the cookies, took some carrots and even a bit of Jackson sliced apple and left the plate on the coffee table. The eggnog was untouched. Odd, I’ve heard he’s very much a fan, maybe he just forgot.
Do the boys believe, not sure, in all the excitement I forgot to ask? On a sad note, the 5 minute video of this tale was accidentally deleted on the recorder. This is my attempt to recreate every second, every gesture, and every word of the event. It’s not as good but it’s all I have now.
December 22, 2008 8:00p.m.
It’s bedtime for Jacob and Jackson. It’s getting closer to the big day, the day when the “real” Santa Claus will come to town. Ever since last year, the kids have been skeptical and think that Aron and I are Santa. It was a sad day for me. Jackson tells Aron that they are going to stay up all night tonight. I guess to train for Christmas Eve so they can catch this elusive Santa Claus. The one that all parents claim is “real”. Aron bets him $30.00 each that they can’t stay up all night, and I bet them $5.00 additional. They were up till 10:20.
December 23, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Bedtime again for the boys. Tonight the pot is sweetened. Jackson wants double, $70.00 each to stay up all night because tonight is the night they will really make it. They were up until 10:40.
December 24, 2008 8:00 p.m.
It’s bedtime on Christmas Eve. After a long day of Church, wrapping Christmas gifts and dog proofing the yard for India’s first visit with Aunt Gina, the boys begin to implement their wisely crafted plan that took a whole year to finely tune. To afraid that Aron and I would tell Santa or be Santa, neither of the boys would tell us their plan all year. So, we left them alone to carry out their plans in the living room. After a good hour went by and the thump-thump-thump of little feet running up and down the hallway was over, I went out the living room to tuck the kids in. I thought I would be ushered out of the lair they had created but instead was greeted by two special agents all too happy to tell me what was to happen tonight. Jacob takes the lead and is gushing with information for me. They placed hot wheel cars on an alarm pad in front of the fireplace under the stockings. I ask why and Jacob makes a motion like he’s Santa and is pulling gifts out of his sack on his back and placing them in stockings, as he continues to tell me that Santa will slip in the cars and snow from his boot with fall on the alarm pad causing it to sound off. His exuberance is something I rarely see and it warms my heart. Jacob is usually just so even tempered, a happy-go-lucky type of kid with a quiet confidence that is truly a unique and special moment for me. Which prompts me to ask the question, “Do you believes in Santa?” Jackson immediately answers that he probably isn’t real and that Aron and I are the true Santa. Jacob surprises me and with a wave of his hand from side to side says he’s not sure. Oh joy, a little magic is brought back into the house. My big boy of eight years may still believe. Let’s get back the plan. Jacob then shows me how the strategically placed the cookies, carrots (for the reindeer) and eggnog on the side table in the corner of the living room behind the couch. Jacob was to sleep in his sleeping bag behind the couch and in front of the table while Jackson was to sleep in front of the couch. That way Santa would have difficulty getting to the cookies and nog and would most likely wake them up in doing so. Jackson then shows me the ultimate in gear for hunting a Santa. All nerf guns and Spiderman web thrower were loaded and hidden under the couch. They were going to shoot Santa! Yickes. Now you are probably wondering what they are going to do when they catch him, and so was I so I asked. I was told that Jacob would hold him in the living room with the end of nerf gun pointed squarely at him while Jackson came to wake Aron and me up so we could also see this legend, this superstar of Christmas. Now I know why it took a year to plan. It was well thought out. So, now knowing the plan Aron and I went to bed and the boys tried their hardest to stay up but finally fell asleep around 11:00. While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads, visions of an excited 8 year old boy who may still believe danced in mine.
December 25 4:30 a.m.
Shasta whines at the door to go out. I let her out. Then, the soft, unsure footsteps of a six year old boy stop by my bedside. I roll over and its Jackson telling me that Santa came and left and they didn’t catch him even though he was awake all night. It’s the middle of the night so I don’t argue about this detail but decide to follow him out to the living room so we can see how good or bad he’s been this year. Apparently, he was very good and tells me so as he’s half way into his stocking. Then we wake up Jacob so we can see if he’s been as good and he was. We then discover that Santa did manage to get his cookies without waking the boys. He ate most of the cookies, took some carrots and even a bit of Jackson sliced apple and left the plate on the coffee table. The eggnog was untouched. Odd, I’ve heard he’s very much a fan, maybe he just forgot.
Do the boys believe, not sure, in all the excitement I forgot to ask? On a sad note, the 5 minute video of this tale was accidentally deleted on the recorder. This is my attempt to recreate every second, every gesture, and every word of the event. It’s not as good but it’s all I have now.
