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mara williams
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
Summer break has this mom on a house upkeep war path.
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I think he's still muttering unkind words about me under his breath.If he had a diary, I’m sure I’d be the main event for a day or two. If he had a Facebook account …. Well, let’s just say, thank goodness he doesn’t have a Facebook account.
And I must say, I deserve it. I did the unthinkable. The unimaginable. I had the downright, "What-the-hell-was-I-thinking?" moment. Only it was too late. Damage done.
I made oldest sit on Santa’s lap. At his school. His friends saw. He’s 12. Don’t really know what came over me.
We’ve done the Santa lap thing every year, year after year, and I get super excited for the photo. Like it’s the first time I’ve done it or something. Last year, oldest was a good sport at the Mall but declared it would be his last. I agreed and we made a pact.
And then something crazy happened Friday night. I see Santa, with my camera in hand, and I scoop up the two kids. I forget all about pacts I may have made a year ago.
“Come on, let’s get in line,” I say, working through a crowd in the library inside oldest’s school. Little one’s on my left, oldest on my right. We’re set. Oldest just thinks he’s along for the ride and going to help get his little brother to smile, or at least not go screaming for the door. Maybe, he’ll stand beside the man in the red suit (one concession he offered last year) if mom insists.
Before I know it, Santa’s right in front of me and I begin to calm my freaked out little one. I tell oldest to sit. Just sit.
“It’ll only take a minute,” I say, camera already at my eye.
Snap. The first one is blurry (probably from the oldest moving his mouth, talking under his breath.) Kids walk past. Parents marvel at the two in a “isn’t it cute he’s sitting there with his little brother” way.
Snap. Still blurry. More kids walk past, a few sixth graders in the bunch. Oldest, still sitting dutifully on Santa’s left knee, grows more annoyed with me.
“Ok, one more. Sorry Santa,” I say. (Little one’s lower lip starts to bubble. Oldest has his feet planted firmly on the ground, ready to bolt.)
Snap. Darn, youngest isn’t looking at the camera. He has to be looking at the camera.
“OK….” Before I could say anything, before I could plea for a fourth take, oldest is up. He’s done. Hasn’t mom embarrassed him enough? He comes over and says nothing. And immediately I remember the pact from last year. No more Santa laps. Wow. Blew it this time. What was I thinking? Can’t I just relax a little and not be so “MOM-LIKE” all the time?
Suddenly, I picture my dad who used to wear these crazy sweatpants out in public and I would constantly utter under my breath: “Is he humiliating me on purpose? Can he be normal?” I’m just sure oldest is mumbling these same words. Same ones he mumbled just three months and 24 days ago when I did my first unspeakable thing at school. I called him “MiMi,” the nickname his little brother gave him. In front of his friends.
And now I made him sit on Santa’s lap. In front of his friends.
Keep on muttering son. I'm sure there’s plenty more to come.
He should just be able to tell his friends he did it so that his little brother would sit on his lap too! I don't think we try to do it on purpose! I don't know maybe we do because ares did it to us! Who knows! I'm sure he is going to get over it soon!Poor kid. At what point do we know when all the good things we've done outweigh all the stupid things we've done?I truly LOVE your son. Another kid would have thrown a fit or sulked off. He just sucked it up because he adores his mom and little brother and sat on Santa's lap. For the record, there will be other boys and girls 12 and older sitting on Santa's lap. He's certainly not the only one, but he deserves a big hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream!All he has to do is tell his friends he doesn't get his presents from "Santa" on Christmas if he doesn't play along. A good eye roll should cover his street cred.Oh no! Poor guy. He'll forgive you. Someday. But he'll sure as heck never make his kids sit on Santa's lap! :D Kidding.I agree with granolamom- my son (12yo) wouldn't play along. Sometimes in Walmart I act like my back is hurting to make him hold my hand. But he has caught on to that.Atleast he was with you. My almost 13 yo won't hardly go anywhere with me. Yours just grumbled. Lucky you. Mine wouldn't have gone anywhere near a Santa Claus. Sounds like he is growing up. Just wait. It doesn't get any easier.We all make our kids do stuff they don't like to do. I make my daughter sing for the relatives every time they visit and she hates that. Last time I did that I wrote her a note and apologized and gave her a coupon for a free embarring moment pass to be redeemed whenever she felt it necessary to stop me dead in my tracks. The great things about kids is they will always give us another chance to make things right.
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