WOOD SCULPTURED SANTAS BY PAUL BOECHER

I am not taking a stand on whether or not we should talk about Santa, but I do love this collection which Paul carved for me several years ago. He hand crafted each one. They’re similar to carvings which you might see in Germany. Must be because of German heritage.

I also have a story to share that includes a visit my granddaughter and I took to the Mall of America when she was about five. It was my first trip to this gigantic assortment of shops and restaurants. Since I’m not a frequent highway driver, that was the first stress of this adventure. When we finally arrived, I had to peel my fingers off the steering wheel. Granddaughter was in a hurry to get there so I tried to keep up with her. Needless to say, that was the second stressor. I was on a mission to visit the American Girl shop to discover which of the dolls she would like for Christmas. That would be our first stop. She was happy to oblige. When we arrived, we saw a sign on the door indicating the store was closed for a private party. Stressor number three. She wasn’t as disappointed as I was. It was getting near time for supper, so I suggested we stop at one of the restaurants. Shopping and having a meal have become part of our times together and she carries that tradition on with her own child. There was a half an hour wait to get in. Stressor number four.

It was beginning to get late, and I hoped we’d make that visit to Santa’s village. There were clerks all along the way, tempting with scents of chocolate or perfume or whatever the store offered. They made a point of stopping us all way to Santa’s place. When we arrived there was only one child who was already sitting on his lap. I was so happy we didn’t miss him. One of the elves approached us and said it was time for Santa to go home. Stressor five. By that time, I was full to the brim with a hefty meal – my feet were killing me – my temperament was seething. I wasn’t going to go home until we met with the fat fellow. My granddaughter could’ve cared less about seeing him, but for me it was different story. I’ve never scolded an elf before. I half expected her to start crying as I demanded that Santa talk with and take a picture of my granddaughter. Here I was, chewing out an elf and eventually Santa for not taking one more child for the day. Big time stressor number six. The final child left. I almost got arrested for disturbing the peace, but the photo was taken and the guy in the red suit listened to her for five minutes.

My recommendations for talking about Santa Claus with your little ones is up to you, but it sure might create a lot of stressful situations. You might be better off if you just did your shopping online and staying home.