Suzanne - I'm glad other people feel the same way. DH could not understand my obsession with not having a black hole on the wall. There are all kinds of "frames" and "mirror" covers etc but they are all stupidly expensive - the DVD's were the solution for me. i wish they would make more of them in contemporary art.

One last piece of knitting advice for Jenni or anyone else. The original stitch and bitch book is a good all round demystifying book but I found youtube videos supplemented it. Also - zimmerman's knitting without tears is a helpful read. And definitely sign up for ravelry - there is more knitting advice and inspiration there than anywhere on the planet. They just got their one-millionth member so it is an uber-active forum.

I concur.... the artist DVD idea is genius Sally.
I fought tooth and nail not to have I*ROD hang a tv over the fireplace... and for ONCE I won the battle.... but it was a hard fight. I think some men are as obsessed with tv's as some women are obsessed with purses. Go figure.

Originally Posted by jwhitlock

Gooooooooood Looooooord, anyone have any advice here? Jake had a big mouth friend over today after school and now has him thinking Santa doesn't exist. WTF? I'd give eight out my 10 fingers to ensure my kids believed until they hit middle school, but I think that's seriously wishful thinking. But 2nd grade (seven years old)???? The friend saw that our "Elf on the Shelf" (affectionately dubbed "Buddy") had already arrived and after that, he spilled the beans. I didn't make a big deal about it, but... UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHH! Need crisis management help here. I'm in unchartered waters and sinking fast.

Nasty little Grinch child. Does he also pull wings off flies? Seriously though Jen, if you want him to hold onto Santa a little longer, then maybe you can tell Jake that perhaps because this little kid doesn't believe in Santa then it's possible Santa doesn't exist for him. But as long a children, your two boys included, believe, then he will exist and as Cho put it, parents are his human helpers. Their payment is the happiness and smiles that children give parents Xmas morning. Gag worthy perhaps, but it might do it.

Although we don't celebrate Xmas in my house and therefore I am not any type of authority, perhaps you might find something on this website. Berkley is a bit "crunchy granola" but I believe there are some decent answers here..as well as interesting discussions

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/holidays/santa.html

The blogster below handles it with aplomb and a sense of humor as well.

http://why-not-smile.blogspot.com/20...ing-santa.html

Your son is a little bit too young to be robbed of the magic of childhood holidays. At least IMHO.

Even in my eyes, grownup, jaded, and cynical as well as from a different perspective, Xmas is one of the most magical and yes, I enjoy everything about it as much as I can. Including putting up fairy lights on my indoor palm trees..blue and white..but they twinkly. Plus we have Chanukah Harry too..seriously.

HTH, chica. Stay calm above all else.


I have to leave @ 9PM for one more hour and then I put on my ratty sweats, sheepskin slippers and chillax.

Mindy... thanks for the links and I especially love the blogster post. Wow, how many gifts have I had to re-wrap b/c I eff'd up by using the same wrapping paper on our gifts and Santa's gifts?! Usually I'm watching the "Christmas Story" marathon and I'm three TALL glasses of wine into wrapping before I notice. Hells bells!

I also love "he's annoyed with you for asking stupid questions." HA!!!! Sometimes I just wnat to blurt that out to my employees, husband, kids. "I'M ANNOYED WITH YOU FOR ASKING STUPID QUESTIONS!!!"

Muwahhhhh....

I really enjoyed that blog post too GB. It made me laugh out loud at the same points you just mentioned Jwhit!

Lurved the blogger! Let's add a few more...

Sorry!! Didn't mean to go apesh*t on my mother... especially when there are so many wonderful moms here (and moms-to-be!!)

nevermind! nevermore!

I believed in Santa until 5th grade I think (I'm the oldest), and that was mostly because I wanted to, haha. And it was fun to keep the secret for my sisters, I didn't want to spoil the magic. Although mom and dad did a good job of it when they forgot to put names on all the presents, and had to take them all upstairs to open them and figure out what was for who.

So I think if Jake wants to believe that santa exists, he's more likely to, with little prompting from you. :)

Originally Posted by jsenning

I believed in Santa until 5th grade I think (I'm the oldest), and that was mostly because I wanted to, haha. And it was fun to keep the secret for my sisters, I didn't want to spoil the magic. Although mom and dad did a good job of it when they forgot to put names on all the presents, and had to take them all upstairs to open them and figure out what was for who. So I think if Jake wants to believe that santa exists, he's more likely to, with little prompting from you. :)

ITA! It was 4th for me, but ITA...You believe what you want to believe, and then you 'get it' and are willing to perpetuate the myth for the greater good. Besides, those who believe get PRESENTS! Not gonna ruin that...

Oh y'all, I am weak. I just caved and ordered a bag off of Endless. I added reusable shopping totes to push it up to $300 to 'spave' $100. And I tell myself that if I feel super guilty I can always return it! And I was having a sort of bad-ish day, but in the grand scheme of things, not really so bad. What is wrong w/ me?! (If you are wondering, its the RM BF clutch in glazed olive!) And what happens if I actually do have a bad day?!?!

Ok, wait a minute here...are you saying Santa Claus isn't REAL?!? Nooooooooooo! He IS real and he looks just exactly like Tim Allen only plumper!

Nope Santa will always look like Mr. Alcorn, my grandmother's boss (and the very drunk then-president of what is now the University of Central Oklahoma). A Christmas Story is the ONLY ones who've ever gotten it right.

<shudder>

"I can't put my arms downnnnn".

I've seen that movie a bazillion times.

Originally Posted by chodessa

"I can't put my arms downnnnn". I've seen that movie a bazillion times.

Randy lay there like a slug... it was his only defense.

Oh, and I have to close the loop on our flipping melodrama from yesterday....

NIGHT OF ALL NIGHTS to forget this.... but I completely blanked and forgot to move Buddy the Elf last night from his previous landing spot (he's "supposed" to move each night after he flies up to chat with the big man). Jake walked down and said, "Buddy is in the same place."

WTF? What a complete dolt.

I said, "hmmmmm, maybe Buddy didn't move b/c he's tired. Or maybe he's not sure if you're behaving. Or maybe Jack DID touch him." It was ugly. I was grasping at straws.

This is the stuff that is going to cause me to develop full-on dementia at 40.

Maybe tell him Buddy is hesitating about moving because he's not sure if Jake believes in him and his boss man?

I swear it's my hubs and his two brothers that are responsible for my m-i-l's dementia. Of course she was always nutso so it wasn't hard to do.