However... in a culture that uses Santa as the whipping stick for good behavior in the winter (as in every trip to the grocery store we make in December, there's at least one parent desperately begging their child to behave else 'Santa might put you on his naughty list'), it's a little harder to skate blithely through the Santa mines unscathed. Let me break it down.
Jael = not a problem. She can only say about ten words.
Judah = not a problem. He doesn't approach strangers, unless it's DIRECTLY behind Elijah so they can't see him. (And generally won't talk to them even when approached. He might not be the world's most out going person, but we think he's relatively unlikely to be kidnapped).
Elijah = trouble. This is the same child who asked permission to 'say hi' to the neighboring children at the grocery store, and when granted permission, ran directly to them (they were at least two years and twenty pounds older/bigger than him) and said, without pausing, "Hi-my-name-is-Elijah. Isn't-this-an-awesome-car? I-know-you-want -one- so maybe- if- you-ask-your-mom-nice-like-I-asked my-dad-then-you-could-have-one-too?-Well,-I'll-see-you-soon." and ran away before the stunned preteens could say anything. Yup, trouble. And trouble that is willing to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere. (You could say he's "socially fearless." Yeah, that's it.)
Anyways, this particular adventure started out when the two knights and I went on a 'special trip with Daddy' -- this would be running errands on my vacation day-- and ended up at the bank. They insisted on coming up to the counter with me for their lollipops (we don't know how Judah is SuperFreak strong and ripped; his diet is like Buddy from Elf: candy, candy canes, candy corns...and syrup. I'm sorta kidding.) and voila, a friendly teller decided to talk to Elijah. Well, she decided to talk to both of them while she rang my deposit through, but Judah decided that today was a good day to have eyes only for his lollipop.
"Hi, you guys!"
"Hi, what's your name?"
"Um, Laura, what's yours?" I think she was a little startled by Elijah, who ALWAYS asks for a name. He used to ask, "what's your real name?" (i,e. not Mama or Daddy) until we taught him that freaked people out, like he had just discovered they were CIA or something.
"Elijah. Elijah Wilson Nimon."
"Mmm-hmm. Have you been a good boy this year, Elijah?"
"Not really. Well, I can be when I don't have sin in my heart. So maybe good and bad."
"Oh." (Pause, regrouping) "Well, I'm Santa's friend. Should I put in a good word for you?"
Elijah, nonplussed, shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. I can't read minds, but his face looked something like: Does she know Santa's not real? Who's her friend that's pretending to be Santa? Do you want to tell her, Dad, or should I?"
I felt an unexpected theological discussion coming on and opened my mouth to say something to potentially avert it, but before I could, Laura spoke again.
"Well, I help him make up the nice list and the naughty list. Have you been so bad that I should tell him to put you on the naughty list?"
LJ nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so," he said. "If you have to."
Stunned, she gave it one last go. I had to ask for deposit slip after all this, which was a pinch awkward. "Well, you want me to tell Santa to put you on the good list, don't you?"
Elijah gave it one last thought. "I think the naughty list is fine," he said. "Besides, my mom and dad have already bought me presents."
Look on teller's face = priceless. And I'll take Parenting 203 for the win, Alex.
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