Daily Dose of Sultnpapper 11/23/17> “Ho, Ho, Ho…….No, No, No….”

As we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day here in the United States today we all know that it is the official “unofficial start” of the Christmas presents buying season. Black Friday sales are everywhere and some have even kicked off as early as this past Tuesday.

Yes, I received a special invitation to attend an event Tuesday evening that was from 6:00PM until 12:00AM Wednesday morning. The store was open on Tuesday from 9 to 4 and then closed in order to set up the Black Friday specials in the two hour window between 4 and 6. There were over 100 people in line when I arrived at 5:58PM, all very eager to get inside and scoop up some specials. I attended because I had a couple hours to kill before I had to pick my youngest daughter and wife from the Girl Scout troop meeting. This store is also the one who has the stuffed bear give away “hook” going on.

I came to find out that night, that the store is actually giving two of the bears away, one on Thanksgiving Day and they gave one away at the event Tuesday night. I didn’t win the Tuesday night drawing, so maybe my luck will be better today.

Our youngest is now 10 years old, She’s known as Shortie, and the question is, at what age should children be exposed to the fact that there is no “Santa Claus”? My wife was under the impression that this would be the last year of the “Magic of Santa” scenario for Shortie. Well let’s just say my wife is very disappointed that the youngest is growing up.

On the way home from the scouting meeting my wife mentioned to Shortie that we should set some time aside to get “pictures with Santa “ early so we aren’t rushing around the day before Christmas trying to get them done.
“You know what mom; I really don’t think that is such a good idea.” was Shortie’s reply. “I’m not real comfortable sitting on some strange man’s lap, telling him what I want for Christmas.”

I had been telling my wife for a couple years that Shortie knows the truth about Christmas but my wife has been in denial, and not ready to let go of “the Magic of Santa”. Well she has been forced to accept it now.
“I’ve played along for the last two years but I’m not any longer, those Santa’s are creeeeepy.” said Shortie.
“You tell me all the time “be aware of strangers”, you know “stranger danger”, if you want a picture with Santa go for it, I done sitting on old men’s laps dresses in costumes. Sorry, but not anymore for me” she informed my wife.

The Magic of Christmas officially died in the sultnpapper household 11/21/17 at 8:23PM, I know the exact time because I looked at the clock in the van as I was driving. It didn’t surprise me one bit that she knew, and I have to admit, Shortie has done a good job of hiding her knowledge of the truth from her mother, for her mother’s sake. Christmas has always been a special holiday for my wife, and it just crushed her that the end of the fairy tale had occurred.

No more of “Santa Snooping”, where he would come each night for about 10 days before Christmas and put a candy bar or treat in the kids stockings. No more waiting up to see if they could catch him, trying to pull that feat off, either. It has all been done away with by the youngest member of the family letting her cat out of the bag. I’m going to miss those candy bars, because I have a stocking too.

The good news is, since Shortie now has told her mother and I, we can now go ahead and buy the gifts for all the kids as soon as we can. Shortie has now been informed that selections of gifts and lists need to be submitted before the end of the Thanksgiving Day meal.

So, if you celebrate Christmas and do the “Santa Claus” things, at what age do you let your cat out of the bag?
For me , my parents let us go seven years, by the time we were eight we had been informed, if we didn’t know already.

The first store on our Black Friday shopping adventure opens at 4:00PM today, Thanksgiving Day. Now, I need to focus my energy on winning that bear.

Happy Thanksgiving Ya’ll !!!!
@sultnpapper