1) Note to Self:
Dear Self,2) Belief in Santa: Why do some kids have to be so annoying about their disbelief in Santa???
Next time you snack on wasabi nuts at work, I don't care how much your eye itches from that eyelash that fell into it, RESIST the urge to RUB your eye while your hand is covered with wasabi dust.
Very sincerely yours,
Yourself
First, last night at Cub Scouts, Santa paid a visit to the Pack meeting and handed out pinewood derby car kits. One of the older scouts in the back started singing and taunting, "One of the dads is missing, one of the dads is missing..." to point out that "Santa" was one of the dads who had stepped out and put on a Santa suit. Even after the kids dad had some stern words for him, he continued to make a big commotion about how it wasn't REALLY Santa.
Then, today, our neighbor's 3rd grade daughter across the street told ALL the little kids in our little neighborhood that Santa wasn't real. ES, being the Google fiend that he is, came inside to the computer and Googled, "Is Santa real?" I don't think he found any conclusive answers there, but he then went to LW and told her what the smarty-pants 3rd grader across the street said and asked LW if Santa was real. LW assured ES that SHE believes in Santa.
Once a kid learns about Santa, why don't their parents teach them not to blab and ruin it for younger kids???
3) Lost and Found:
For those of you either at or eventually going to the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), I highly recommend volunteering to sponsor an international officer. There are several dozen military officers from foreign countries who attend NPS under cooperative agreements we have with other countries. I think one of them is called FMEP or Foreign Military Education Program.
I sponsored two foreign officers while I was at NPS. The first was a Ukrainian Army Major and the second was a Greek Navy Lieutenant Commander. It turns out, the two largest contingents of foreign military officers there are the Greeks and the Turks. So when the Greek officer arrived, there were like two dozen other Greek officers there to meet him at the airport, and he didn't really need my help. Don't get me wrong, he was very nice and he appreciated me being there. We just kept sort of an "acquaintance" level of friendship while he was there.
The Ukrainian officer though, he was very isolated from friends and family. I helped him find a place to live close enough to bike to school, helped him find a bicycle, periodically gave him a ride to school since it was along my way from Fort Ord down to NPS, etc, and we became very good friends during our time together in Monterey.
Getting to the point: In spite of my bad day today, it had a very joyous ending. I lost touch with my Ukrainian Army friend from Monterey when we graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2001 and each moved thousands of miles away. A few times over the years, I have made attempts to get in touch with him, but I did not succeed... until today. Yesterday, I finally found out he is stationed at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C. So I wrote an email to a general email address on their website asking them to forward it, and tonight I got an email response from him. I know it may not seem like much, but it really made me happy to hear from him after so long. (And just a little bit sad that I missed seeing him while we were stationed in DC).
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9 comments:
OKay, let's get the story straight. Yes the 3rd grader till tell all the 1st grade and younger kids that Santa was not real. ES promptly told me and all the younger kids and I whole heartedly agreed that she was crazy (even her brother). Then after we came in, ES sat down at Kevin's computer and Googled "Is Santa Real". He came upon a site that said Santa was not real. So he was horrified. Here is the gist of the conversation.
Me: If Santa is not real, how do all the presents get here?
ES: You don't do it?
Me: No only Mommy's and Daddy's of kids that don't believe have to do it since Santa doesn't bring presents to kids who don't believe. I believe in love, generosity, goodness, etc... all the things Santa embodies. Don't you?
So that lead do I believe in Monsters, and I said no, only good things. He said the only bad thing he believes in is the Devil. So I had to agree with that. Then he told me the Devil used to be an angel. Ahh he is learning so much and getting too smart for me!
So have you all gathered that it is a pet peeve of mine if someone does not tell the story correctly? I know you all got the correct gist but I had to clarify, i just can't help myself! :-)
Once a kid learns about Santa, why don't their parents teach them not to blab and ruin it for younger kids???
What I don't understand is why parents lie to their kids about Santa in the first place....
Wasabi is good, and bad, all at the same time. Wear gloves next time. And don't feed them to your dog.
Poor kids. :(
Yay for finding old friends! Thats always nice! At least things ended on a good note!
*darts off to workout and bake*
Ditto on the wasabi peas. Incredibly yummy, but death to the eyeballs.
Kids can be mean. That said, I told my sister that Santa wasn't real. She was 8, and I was almost 11. Does that make me evil, too?
Whatever, though, Santa's fun for little kids. I knew Santa didn't exist for a good year before I told my parents that I knew. Mom accidentally started writing my Christmas card from her and Dad in her "Santa" handwriting (which was the same as the Toothfairy's and Easter Bunny's handwriting). Whoops. :)
well now hello out there and thanks for coming by my place. HOw did you find me anyway? Do you know my hubby "Subvet"?? I really enjoyed writing all the Pearl Harbor posts as I learned a LOT from them!! Sorry I'm slow in getting over here to your place...I've had technical difficulties of massive proportions this week.
I wrote a post about MY belief in Santa and would love for you and sagey to come read it....it's titled "Santa Claus" and was posted at the beginning of December.
I would say we "lie" to our children to add to the magic of Christmas. But for a more matter of fact reason, would you want your child not believing and have them sitting in school surrounded by kids that believe and your kid tells those kids Santa isn't real? What then? What will become of your child? Ostercized, laughed at, what?
would you (or anyone you know) like to be added to my list of soldiers in my sidebar?
But for a more matter of fact reason, would you want your child not believing and have them sitting in school surrounded by kids that believe and your kid tells those kids Santa isn't real? What then? What will become of your child? Ostercized, laughed at, what?
What happens to any non-Christian kid at this time of year?
Ya see, that's the thing about "political correctness". It just doesn't work. 'What happens to any non-Christian kid at this time of year?' The same thing that happens to the other kids during the SEVEN days of Kwanzaa (tho the kids are on "Holiday Break" during this time) and during the EIGHT days of Hanukkah! They learn patience and understanding. They learn about other cultures. They learn that having a different belief doesn't mean you can't appreciate other beliefs. One day where we incorporate a pagan symbol - Santa - into a Christian celebration that is celebrated on a pagan holiday - rather than in the Springtime when it probably occurred in order to keep from being persecuted. RELAX and enjoy some Goodwill towards men, women, children, etc.
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