Bless His Little Pea Pickin' Heart

This Christmas season has been the first one where Colin has really understood the full magnitude of the phrase, "Santa's watching you." That little phrase has been especially helpfull in helping Colin through a few rough days at school. As 4-year olds, especially 4-year old boys often do, Colin has had a few bad days (one a week or so) for about the last month. Last Friday was a particularly bad day and, as a result, Colin has had to endure some pretty harsh consequences here at home. He wasn't allowed to play Mario Kart on the Wii all weekend, and he has to have good days every day this week before he can play again. And, we had a long talk Friday evening about how important it is to be good at school, and how Santa probably didn't like the behavior he saw from Colin that day.

When Scott picked Colin up from school yesterday, Colin's teacher gave him "two thumbs up" for his day, but said that she did have something she wanted to talk to Scott about. So, she sent Colin to the other room on an errand and proceeded to tell Scott the story of how Santa had visited the school yesterday and what Colin had to say when it was his turn to sit on the old man's lap. Those of you who have read here for long enough will remember this post and can probably imagine the sorts of things that started to run through Scott's mind as he tried to imagine what Colin might have said.

The school provides Santa with a bag of toys to give out to each of the kids as they come up to sit on his lap. Colin was the next to the last little kid to visit with Santa, which evidently gave him plenty of time to screw up his courage and get his game face on. When Colin's turn finally came, he calmly walked up, sat on Santa's lap, told Santa his name, how old he was, and then Santa asked THE question...the have you been a good little boy question...the one that every kid answers with an enthusiastic "YES" becuase they know that the yes answer is the key to unlocking the motherload of presents that Santa brings to good little boys and girls on Christmas. Every kid that is, except mine. When Santa asked Colin if he had been a good little boy this year, my son very matter-of-factly replied, "No Santa. I don't get a toy from you today. I been a bad boy at school."

Santa was a little taken aback by this response. (I don't think they have a simulator for these kinds of situations in Santa school.) When he finally had his wits about him, Santa asked Colin why it was that he thought he had been a bad boy. At which point, Colin launched into a detailed description of everything that had happened at school on the previous Friday when he'd had such a bad day. He ended his litany by saying, "But, I'm being better now so maybe if I be good I can get a toy from you on Christmas."

After Santa picked his jaw up off the floor, he dug down deep in his sack and presented Colin with a little stuffed monkey. He explained to Colin that he normally doesn't give toys to naughty little boys and girls, but that he was very proud of Colin for being so honest and to be sure and try really hard to keep being good. Let me tell you what...Colin listened. He's been extra good since then and he's so proud of that darn monkey that he's kicked his precious Pablo out of the bed and has slept with the monkey for the past two nights instead.

Awwww....