What about you..have you been NAUGHTY or NICE?

Believe it or not, this isn't the real Santa Claus. It really is TODD at our ward Christmas party. Our friend asked if he would do it and with a little persuasion he finally agreed. After it was all said and done he admitted that he had a fun time playing "Jolly Ol' Saint Nick" and he didn't even get peed on once. He did have a couple of criers and some that were just too shocked to know what to do. One kid admitted to being nughty when he asked if they have been good. The whole experience was quite hillarious if you ask me.

Other than his beard, I think he pulled it off without too many raised eyebrows. Except, his nieces knew right away that it was him. Celeste, the 4 year old, had a hard time believing her sister when she told her he wasn't the "real Santa" and then later she asked Todd to confirm it for her. He said, "what do you think" when she asked if he was really Santa and she said "no it couldn't have been Uncle Todd." Poor girl has been hit with the disturbing possibility that there really is no such thing as Santa Claus at such a young age. She stewed over that for all of three seconds, I imagine.

I still have the unpleasent experience of learning that there was no such person as Santa permenantly ingrained in my memory. I can't remember how old I was, but we were in the car and I remember asking my Mom and she said something to the effect of, "who do you think goes to the mall and does all the shopping for their kids?" I was astonished to say the least! I remeber being mad that she didn't lie to me or at least let me go on being misled a little while longer. I guess because we all have to focuss on what the true meaning of Christmas is all about sooner in life rather than later.

Speaking of the true meaning of Christmas, this year we decided to try and follow Christ's example and show more Charity for others. So we had the idea of doing a "Sub for Santa" for children, which we got their names from the Christmas Tree at the Mall. I will let Todd finish telling the story since he was the one who took their wrapped gifts to the Mall so they could get them before Christmas......