Conspiracy Exposed

I heard Cindy tell Kenzie, "go talk to mommy. Just go talk to her. She's in the other room, go talk to her." I know what that means. She's brought up a tough subject, one that Cindy doesn't want to have with her.

Kenzie found me and in her most serious voice, looked me in the eyes and said, "Mom, I need to know. Is there really a Santa Claus or was it just you guys? It was you guys, right? Is Santa Claus REAL?"

I have told her that I would never lie to her, which made this question particularly awkward because, in fact, I have been lying to her for the last six years on this subject. I have been very nervous about this moment because learning that there was no Santa was, for me, a defining moment in my life. It was when I learned that adults were not perfect and the world isn't as it seems.

So, expecting the worst, I looked her in the eyes and said, "Kenz, Santa is like a dream. He's not a real person, but he's something that kids can believe in, kind of like magic."

The wheels started to turn. Her eyes went to a distance, and then back to me, "but what about all those people? Everyone talks about Santa."

Then a smirk came on her face. She thought it was quite funny, and she was being let in on the secret. It's a total conspiracy. I told her, "it's a big job being a big sister and knowing that Santa isn't real. You have to help your brother continue to believe." With that she left the room.

I later found out that she immediately went to find Mason. Cindy told me that she spilled it all, "Mason, Mason, Mommy just told me that there isn't a Santa Claus!" I didn't find out until this morning and was rather perturbed at her. She claimed that she didn't understand what I meant, and I believe that. She said, "if that's what you were telling me you didn't put it in words that I understood." Touche. But now we're clear. She understands that it is officially part of her job to partake in the conspiracy.

So then Mason was looking through his stocking presents and said, "Santa gave this to me. Noooo...you gave it to me." I said, "no, Santa gave you the stuff in your stocking." Kenzie jumped right in and said, "Right, Mason. It was Santa. Last night when I told you there was no Santa I was just joking." He said, "Oh. Okay." And so it continues...

White Christmas 2008

We've always wished for a White Christmas. This year we got enough for all those Christmases Past. As a result we have had a relaxing, low-key week leading up to Christmas. Because we had to constantly watch the weather report, we were forced to slow down, which I think is exactly what we needed. We went sledding, played games, made cookies, baked bread, hung with friends and just enjoyed being a family.

The kids were a little spoiled this year (as always, I guess). Kenzie loves her new blanket that Grandma made, light blue of course. She received some cute clothes, her very own digital camera (the results of which can be seen here, I'm sure, at some future date), and some special things for her "collection" (which is anything that fits in her room).

I think she actually got the most joy out of making a special present for each of her grandparents. All on her own she decided to draw a picture for them and then frame it. She was so proud to watch each of them open it (and then tell her how magnificent it was).

Mason got a special train set to go around our tree, plus loads of things that fly, whirl or scoot (including a new skateboard). He even got his own remote-controlled helicopter. It seemed like a good idea at the time we purchased it...

Monkeys make banana bread

Kenzie told me, "Mom, I wish Lauren lived with us." Mason quickly echoed, "yeah." Instead they got to make banana bread with her.

Santa, really?

On the way home from our Christmas Eve dinner at Grammy and Grampy's, Kenzie said, "Mom, do you know how Santa gets out of a gas fireplace?" I wasn't sure if this was a trick question or not. I said, "what do you think? Do you think sometimes he uses the front door?" She was all over that and came back with "what about the beep-beep [motion detector] on the front door?" I decided to reuse my same approach..."what do you think?"

She said, "I think that Santa isn't really real. I think it's you guys who fill our stockings. What do you believe?"

I said, "I believe that Santa only visits little kids who believe in him. So, do you believe in him?"

Surprisingly, our conversation ended quickly.

Sledding day 2

Another successful day sledding! This time we had three of Kenzie's friends with us who all, conveniently, had a younger sibling. They all came over after sledding to hang out and bring out every toy the kids own.

P.S., I finally got a charger for my video camera.

Good save

The path curved to the left, but the sled decided to turn right...right toward a 14 month old. Luckily, Cindy was on high alert...

Demise of the princess

I have waited for this day for a long time. I wasn't sure it would ever come.

Kenzie said to me, "Mom, I don't think I really like princesses." Trying to hold back my hip-hip-hurray I said, "oh really, why is that?" She continued, "well, I don't like the fact that they're just born into being able to rule the world. I don't like that. I don't think that people should be able to rule other people." Trying to test her resolve I said, "well, what do you think about someone like Barack Obama? He is set to rule the most powerful nation in the world." She quickly retorted, "yes, but he wasn't born into it. People voted him in. That's different. We chose to have him as our leader."

Oh yes, this is a proud day...

Buffalo read

This video is a bit long, but I like to track Kenzie's reading progress. Watching it is only mandatory for grandparents.

I asked her to show me something she had read recently and this is what she selected. Then she decided to read me the prologue.

Cow rehearsal

The kids are studying for church pagaent. Kenzie is a shepard, Mason is a cow. Mason has one long part, but, as you can see, Kenzie has mastered it ahead of him. Mason still has a while longer to learn it--the production just got postponed to January due to weather and then vacations! We'll look forward to Christmas in January. It's even cuter with his cow costume on. :)

Neighborhood snow play

Just heard that we are having the "worst" snowstorm in over a decade. We have about seven inches and it's still coming down. We're hoping it doesn't all melt by Christmas!

We took full advantage of our quiet neighborhood today. First Ed came out with his sled and pulled the kids around our front field, and over, and back, and over again.

Then Kenzie's schoolmate and his little brother joined us for a snowball fight.

Finally we sought out a hill, which we found just a couple of streets over in a driveway. The four kids, plus a teenager who lived there, had a blast!

Transformer Canoe, by Mason

Mason drew this picture. He describes it, "it's a transformer canoe because it can transform. It flies and can land on water. Some of the arms are wings, some are canoe paddles."

Let the Christmas begin

We had the Bolam family Christmas gathering at our house this morning, so Christmas has officially begun. Here's our best pose...

Snowball fight