Santa Crushing

I took Mallory to school today and while she was switching from her boots to her shoes Maxwell asked if he could “peek in her room”.  I said, oh yes… go peek and see what the kids are doing. 

Mallory is all dressed and runs into her room and her teacher is standing in the door and Max is peeking around the corner watching the kids. 

Her teacher says… is it okay for Mallory to make a Santa puppet today?

I say… of course.  that is fine.

Then I stop and think… why is she asking me this?  Has Mallory said something?!!  We don’t do Santa at our house.  I grew up with Santa, but Jesse did not grow up with Santa.  We decided we wanted the focus to be more on Jesus’s birthday – not Santa.  And besides we wanted the credit for the cool presents not Santa!  ; )  Anyway.  We have never really talked to her about it.  We just don’t bring up Santa a whole lot.  We don’t watch Santa shows.  We don’t read Santa books.  But now that she is older and in school and pays attention to things… she sees Santa and hears Santa everywhere!

One night she was watching her favorite show, Doc McStuffins, and it was a Santa episode.  I just let her watch it.  Jesse came in when it was just about done and when it ended he said, “Mallory is Santa real?”  Her response was, “I don’t know.”  I can’t remember what Jesse told her, but I think he told her he was just fake.  She never asked any other questions about it or mentioned it again.

It clicks in my head that Mallory MUST have said something at school for her teacher to be asking me if it is okay if she makes a Santa puppet!!  Oh heavens!

I look at her teacher with huge eyes, I am sure, and said… She said something!!!

Her teacher laughs and says yeah she did. 

OH NO!!!!

Her teacher said it turned into this little 4-year old debate one day.  I don’t remember what Mallory said but another little girl said “Yeah, it is about God’s birthday!” and Mallory says “NO!  It is Jesus’s birthday!” 

I think her teacher could see in my face that I was worried our little 4-year old was crushing all these kids “santa dreams” because she told me… don’t worry about it!  At this age it all goes over their heads and they just keep working on what they are working on. 

I get home and I send an email to Jesse and tell him this and he responds back… That’s my girl! 

Which makes me giggle… yet not. 

This girl is so her Dad and she is for sure going to be setting all these kids straight.  Thank goodness she doesn’t ride the bus!  Isn’t that where everyone learns about the “real Santa”?!! 

In the Snow!

Tuesday this week we had enough snow to go out and shovel after we took Mallory to school.  Out we go.  Max attempts to help – but really he is making bigger messes.  If my shovel trail leaves a clump of snow he runs over to it and starts stomping it into the blacktop! 

Then he asked to get the RZR out and drive it in the snow.  I warned him that it might not work very well in the snow and that he probably needed to stay on the driveway.  However, I’m just a girl and what do I know! 

He bee-lines it right for the bank of snow.  Can’t get over it.  Backs up tries again.

Can’t do it and gets stuck.  I tell him to go back over on the driveway and that I don’t think it is fun to have to stop shoveling to push him out every 2 minutes.  So he leaves and goes to the other side of the driveway and all of sudden I hear “I MADE IT!” 

He plowed over the snow bank on the other side and he was mighty proud of himself.  But then he was stuck and I had to come to his rescue and push him out.  Then he was gone for a long time.  He went back behind the house.  And he was good and stuck in the yard.  Pushed him out again!

Family Day–Thanksgiving Style

November 26th!  I haven’t touched my camera for 26 days!!  Halloween was the last day that I took a picture. 

Amazing how throwing school (only 2 days a week) can create such a different routine.  Plus with all the other activities – Awanas & Ballet.  And then my own activities.  The days, nights and weeks just get away from me.  Before I know it 26 days have gone by and I haven’t documented a single thing!

Today was the first family day at school.  Jesse and I both went.  They started out singing songs for us.  The cutest silliest songs!

The big hairy gorilla went up the water spout!

The Jello song.  Stirring the Jello.

Then they had to come get their parents (or grandparents) and teach us a song and dance moves.  The Turkey Dance (Chicken Dance).  Itsy Bitsy Spider.  Head Shoulder Knees & Toes.  Going on a Bear Hunt.  They definitely got their wiggles out with all these songs!  Max refused to do them.  Plus one of us had to hold him.

After all that singing and dancing we found tables and had to read one Turkey book and then do a project… potato turkeys!

Mallory’s teacher said Max could make one too.  Mallory’s teachers get a kick out of Max.  He comes with every day to drop her off and her pick her up.  He is usually running full-blown down the hallways and right to where Mallory’s backpack goes and is waiting for us to catch up.  One of Mallory’s teacher has her own Max (who is a pre-teen) so she eats up our little Max.

The final turkey potato… but his nose fell off.

Mallory’s final Turkey… she named him Potato Head.

Max named his Turkey… Adam.