Why Santa is a crock.

OK, so maybe Santa isn't a crock. It's just that, after a certain age, a downside to this Santa thing becomes rather apparent. Erin is 7 years old, you see. She's got friends who have every item under the sun. She sees commercials for stuff, and WANTS. IT. NOW. Of course, Santa will bring it!! Mommy, can we make my Christmas list?? I inform her that she can put just a couple things on her Christmas list because Santa doesn't like greedy people. Daddy says he never even got anything from his list ever (Yeah, right. We all know that daddy was a spoiled rich brat, and probably got upgraded from his list every single year.) Erin knows it will be ok, though, because even if she only puts a few of the billion things she wants on the list, Santa has hidden cameras in the house, and KNOWS all the stuff she wants, so of course it will all appear under the tree on Christmas morning!

I think the Santa thing kind of wears thin when the kid starts treating it less like the magical part of Christmas and more like their personal ordering service. Erin's Christmas is costing more than hers and Orren's combined cost last year, and she STILL WANTS MORE. It's never enough. Santa is tired of the gimmes.

Orren, on the other hand... he's still fun to do Santa for. He's just getting to the age where he understands presents, and will be happy with anything we get him. Of course his birthday being Christmas as well, he's going to get a lot! I also have to figure out what kind of cake he wants... That, I forgot.

I think instead of a typical Christmas dinner, we'll do Orren's birthday dinner instead, a meal consisting only of foods Orren likes. That would be fun, and kind of make the day his, because it is his. I also love that he doesn't have the gimmes yet. I know now to appreciate the few years we still have before that develops, because big sissy has not made the holidays very fun this year with her gimme gimme attitude.

In that way, I'll be glad when Santa is over. When she realizes that it's actually mom and dad who have to spend all the money for all this stuff she wants, she will realize that it isn't infinite... or maybe not. This kid thinks money grows in the ATM and we just go pick it.