Posts tagged santa

Babysitting for Kira today and I had to run to Phoenix to the VA Medical Center for some bloodwork. So Kira’s in the backseat babbling about whatever when this conversation started:

Kira: Grammi, I think my Mommy died.

Me: No Kira, your Mommy isn’t dead. She just lives far away.

Kira: I think she’s dead and in heaven looking at me.

Me: No Kira, she’s not dead and she’s certainly NOT in heaven looking at anyone. Who told you about heaven?

Kira: Krislyn. Krislyn said god took my mommy to heaven.

Me: Well, some people believe when you die you go to heaven where god lives. Grammi doesn’t believe in god or heaven or hell or any of that. I think it’s all made up to make people behave. Either way, your Mommy is alive and living in Kentucky, not heaven.

Kira: So god is made up? Is Santa made up too?

(Crap crap crap now how do I handle this one?)

Me: How old is Krislyn? (she’s 5) Does she know everything? (yes!) Not hardly. She doesn’t know that much more than you. You should get your information from grown-ups. Kids tell you stuff they don’t understand.

Kira: OK Grammi. But what about Santa?

Me: Hmmph. Some people think Santa is made up too, but if you stop believing in Santa he stops bringing you presents so I keep believing in him. Do you want presents from Santa? Then you need to believe in him.

Kira: But not god?

Me: Has god ever brought you presents? Or anything else? I don’t believe in him, your Daddy doesn’t believe in him, and Aunt Ginnie doesn’t either. We’re happy behaving without scary stories to make us act a certain way.

Kira: Can we stop and get some chicken nuggets?

She was great at the lab, not wanting to watch them draw blood but otherwise cool. We left there and headed for McDonalds by Arizona Mills so she could blow off excess energy and then to the Sealife thing at the mall. Unfortunately we arrived at the same time as a rather loud and boisterous school group. They were sooooo loud and rude and uncontrolled that she wanted to leave so we wandered the mall for a bit before heading back to finish our tour. She loved it!