Swimming and Santa

Yesterday, Julia had her second swim meet of the season, an away meet in Waltham.  Because I wound up working as a timer for the majority of the meet, I got to be up close at the end of Julia's races to give her my very heartfelt praise.  This also meant I was away from Madeleine, who spent the meet hanging out with Ethan, apparently missing me.

In fact, she had missed me so much that she wanted to mess with the bedtime schedule and get back-to-back nights of mommy bedtime. 

ME: Madeleine, who do you want for bedtime tonight?
MADELEINE: Uh, who put me to bed last night?  Is it your turn?
ME: I put you to bed last night.  So it's Daddy's turn.
MADELEINE: (thoughtful for a half-second) Still you.

I'm not sure the point of asking whose turn it was if she was just gonna pick me anyway. 

That doesn't mean that Madeleine doesn't have grand plans for some quality time with Ethan, however.  This morning she came up with a great adventure idea.

MADELEINE:  Daddy?  Do you think we could ever go out in the African savannah and find a mud wallow to push each other in??

I say go for it!  Christmas present savannah mud wallow trip!  Here they come!

Today we went to church, and on the way there I put on a Christmas CD for the kids to enjoy.  Madeleine was thrilled to discover that the first song on the CD is one of the songs she is singing at her preschool sing-along: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."  She began happily singing along, until the wily jazz saxophonist began a middle, improvisatory section.  Then Madeleine just wasn't having it.

MADELEINE: Mamaaaa!  What's THIS music?
ME: Well, this CD is "Jazz Christmas Party."
MADELEINE: But Mamaaaa!  I don't WANT this music!  I want music that I can RECOGNIZE!

You'd think with a father who plays jazz at home ALL THE TIME Madeleine would have a little more tolerance for a momentary departure from the main melody.  Sheesh.

Church was extra special for the kids today, seeing as we had all kinds of extra events.  First up was the choir Christmas carol concert, which invited the congregation to join in on the songs they knew.  Afterwards, up in the church hall, the Greek school put on a performance of various Christmas poems, carols, and dances, all while audience members got to eat a variety of sweets and goodies.  I had figured that after both kids chowed down on donuts, they might want to head home, without sitting through the whole Greek school concert. 

I was wrong.

ME: Girls, do you want to stay and watch this or do you want to head home?
JULIA: Um, I don't know...
ME: It's gonna be all in Greek so you might be bored.
MADELEINE: Mama.  Are you KIDDING me?  Of COURSE we wanna watch it!
JULIA: Yeah, then it can help us learn some Greek!

So the show began.  Not two seconds in and:

MADELEINE: (in a loud whisper) Mamaaa? I have NO idea WHAT THE HECK they're saying.

However, the girls wound up enjoying the show, despite the language issue, especially when the school kids put on traditional Greek dances complete with ribbon/napkin twirling.  Madeleine even put on her OWN version of the show when we got home.

After the Greek school performance ended, the REAL special event took place: Santa came up to the church hall and each kid got a chance to sit on his lap and get a gift. 

Julia acted like she'd never sat on Santa's lap before.  She stood facing him stiff as a board and had to be prompted (by me) to sit on his lap for the photo op.  This may be because she has sort of figured out on her own that Santa isn't actually real.  As she told me, randomly, last week: "Mom?  I believe in St. Nicholas, but I do NOT believe in Santa Claus.  Like, we're supposed to think there's really this GUY that lives in the North Pole?  People don't even live there!"

Madeleine sat on Santa's lap much more willingly, and even stroked and twirled his beard while she gave her Christmas wishes (or lack of, as you will see...) but even she didn't fall for the idea that this guy was the real deal.

MADELEINE: (loudly, after receiving her gift and getting off Santa's lap) MAMA?  I told the FAKE SANTA that I don't KNOW what I want for Christmas!

Apparently Fake Santa told Madeleine to write him a letter once she knows what she wants.  As Madeleine contemplated this idea, Julia made sure to show her superiority in all ways of the world.

MADELEINE: Mama?  So, I'm supposed to write down what I want, but all the words that I *know* how to spell AREN'T words of things I want.
JULIA: Madeleine.  You could just have US spell them for you.
MADELEINE: Okay.  So Mama.  When I know what I want, can you write it down for me?
ME: Sure!
JULIA: Madeleine.  Do you even KNOW Santa's address?
MADELEINE: Uh...Mama can send it.
ME: (giving Julia a warning glare in the rear-view mirror) I can just send it to the North Pole.
MADELEINE: Oh, yeah!  The North Pole!
JULIA: To WHERE in the North Pole?  You can't just send it to the North Pole.  Do you even know Santa's street or his zip code?
ME: Julia.  It's fine.  Let's just let her...
JULIA: Madeleine, you'd be better off writing a letter to St. Nicholas and mailing it to HEAVEN.
MADELEINE: Uh, no, Julia.  I'm talking about a letter that you write on PAPER.

Yeah, Julia.  You can only mail prayers to Heaven, not PAPER LETTERS.  That will teach you to think you know everything about Santa and his non-existent postal address.  Except that you're totally right about that.  So...uh...

Anyway, Fake Santa aside, the girls continue to be completely immersed in the Christmas spirit, and we are eagerly counting down the last ten days until the big day is here!