In a minute now I will go to bed crossing my fingers that I have covered tracks and that the magic of Christmas stays magic of yet another year.
The Boy is getting to the age of unbelief and I have been trying to help him to hold on. He’s heard the rumours of course and challenged me in the car on the way back from School.
The Boy: “The boys at school say it’s not Santa but your Mum and Dad
Me: Really. “Why on earth should we do that? I mean why should we put all those presents, some of which we don’t even like, wrap them then sneak into your rooms at dead of night when we would much rather be sleeping? And to top it all you know we hate it when you wake us so early so why should we get you all excited?!!!” (I believe in being prepared and a little long winded but it covers all bases and seems to have the desired effect…)
The Boy: “Oh. I hadn’t thought about that…”
Today he was in the car with Charlie, off buying presents of his own when he suddenly turned to his Dad and apropos of nothing said: “Dad, have I been a good boy?”
Dad slightly bewildered and not quite up to speed: “Yes you’ve behaved yourself today, why is there something wrong?”
The Boy: “No I was just worried all I would get was coal if I had been bad.”
It took Charlie the whole journey back from the shops to work this one out! (For those not brought up in the North, Father Christmas does not give naughty little boys and girls presents he leaves them coal instead!)
This evening both boys went to bed like little lambs with their father’s warning ringing in their ears: “If you don’t go straight to sleep Santa will not come, he’ll miss us out and fly on by and you wouldn’t want that would you?”
Chorus of two wide eyed little boys: “Nooooooo!!!”
Angels went straight to sleep and not a murmur or a peep have we heard…
Hope Santa has been good to you all. Have a very Merry Christmas!!!
