The other day, Joey, my youngest boy, lobbed that curve ball at me that so many parents look to with dread and/or relief: he decided he did not believe in Santa Claus, anymore. He didn't inform me directly, however; I suppose he wanted to spare me the disappointment, or something. No, it was his dear older sister, December, who "tattled."
And conniving little thing that she can be, she told me right in front of him, to put him on the spot. So naturally I asked him, "Joey, why do you not believe in Santa Claus, now?" His reply? "If Santa was real, and he was really magic, he would make my eczema go away."
Now, I know what you're thinking. Most of you are probably going, "Awww, poor baby!" and making noises of sympathy. Some of you might be practical about the situation, and say that it's probably time, at nearly ten years old, for him to let go of Santa Claus, anyway. And it may have made some of you feel incredibly awkward, having to decide what to say in such a situation to your own child.
I took a different approach altogether.
Back in August, Travis and I went to Dragon*Con. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dragon*Con, it's the world's largest convention for all things nerdy and geeky - everything from books and television to comic book artists, cosplayers and more. And while we were there, we attended a panel with several of our favorite authors, including Mercedes Lackey (which gave Travis a huge fanboy moment). The panel was about magic systems in urban fantasy fiction, and one of the things they emphasized was that the magic system of each setting, in order to be believable (and not turn every book into one massive pile of deus ex machina, and thus completely unreadable), had to have certain limitations on its power.
Call me a gigantic nerd, but when Joey gave me his reason, this was the first thing I thought of.
"Joey, magic is complicated. Santa's magic is specifically related to traveling incredibly fast, and squeezing into tight places, like chimneys and the cracks under the doors, so he can deliver presents. He can't do much more than that - it's not how his magic works."
And you know what? It worked. He brightened instantly.
"So Jim really IS real!"
And this, dear readers, is likely where confusion sets in for you.
Years ago, when I first started dating my ex-husband, he introduced me to a friend of his. That same day, I met the friend's stepfather, whose name was Jim. And readers, Jim looked like a very skinny Santa Claus. Beard and all. He was also a Harley-riding badass, and the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He refused every year to play Santa Claus (he was asked by various people, all the time), but he would show up and even dress as an elf, I'm told, and hand out presents.
At the time, my oldest, Leland, was four years old, and still an only child. With Jim's permission, I told Leland that I would introduce him to "the real Santa Claus," whom I had just met, who was actually named Jim. Leland has always been a sharp kid, and he was naturally skeptical. Not that he had any doubts of the existence of Santa Claus, mind you - Santa was most definitely real - but come on. MOM knows SANTA? Nobody KNOWS Santa. That just doesn't happen. But he agreed to come along and see for himself, expressing his doubts the entire way.
When we got to the friend's house, Jim was over for a visit, and waiting out in the yard. I got Leland out of the back seat, led him by the hand across the yard, and said, "Leland, I would like you to meet Jim. Jim, this is Leland." Being the sweet fellow he was, Jim crouched down to be at eye-level with Leland and said hello. There was perhaps a few heartbeats-worth of silence from my eldest spawn, and then he promptly seated himself on Jim's knee and proceeded to tell him that he had been a good boy, and these were all the things he wanted for Christmas.
This story has been repeated over and over, through the years, in the hearing of my younger two children. And though finally, at the age of thirteen, Leland confessed that he no longer believed in Santa Claus (but thought he'd get fewer presents if he mentioned it to me), Leland has been a good sport about it. Every time the story is told, he backs me up - "Yeah. Mom and I met Santa. His name is Jim, he rides a Harley, and he's actually really skinny."
There's no way I'm ever spoiling that story. Hey, how do I know he's not really Santa?
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Post the First: Excuse My Mess
If you've happened upon this blog, you're either a friend, family, or have incredibly rotten luck - there isn't much to see, here, yet. This is hardly my first time attempting a blog, and it likely will not be my last, but hopefully I'll learn a few things from this particular attempt that will help me in future endeavors.
Or I could just make a big damn mess of it. So...excuse my mess!
This is as good a place as any for my introduction, so here goes: I'm Jessa.
Whew, that was easier than I thought!
I guess that was a pretty terrible introduction, so I'll give you a few more details (none of which are likely to give you any indication as to the purpose or intent of this blog):
I'm a homeschooling mother of three living in Columbia, South Carolina. My oldest son is verging on 16, my daughter is almost 11, and my youngest son is nearly 10. (I'm not sure if having Christmas and three birthdays between December and February was brilliant planning, or a tragic misstep - sure, you catch all the great sales, but then you're tapped out for the rest of the year! Yikes!) I have a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and I'm currently working on a personal project that I hope will help me get into a graduate program in the next couple of years (though I'm not guaranteeing a post on that, anytime soon). I'm a huge nerd and a complete geek (and there is a distinction, but you CAN be both!); you'll likely see a lot on this blog on everything from gaming (console, PC, pencil and paper, and even board games) to books (nearly always better than the film, I promise you), from science fiction and fantasy (and every sub-genre within - steampunk, cyberpunk, high magic, urban fantasy...I could go on forever), to history, science, and social issues. I'm all over the map, so this blog probably will be, too.
I love to read and write, and I have been told on occasion that I have a talent for writing. You're probably not going to see that, here. Sure, there may be glimmers, but this is really an experiment for me - a process that I'm working my way through. I enjoy reading blogs, but I've never written one beyond a few posts, and I've finally committed to sticking with one. That means things are going to be rocky. I'm not just learning to write a blog; I'm learning all the stuff that goes along with that, a little at a time. So while you see the basic sort of layout and template that Blogger provides, here, over time I hope to make the visual improvements on my own. For a geeky, nerdy type, my computer skills are barely above the average user - something I'm trying to change. Granted, that requires me taking my nose out of my books for longer than it takes to make a blog post, so you may be waiting awhile.
So why am I writing this blog? There are quite a few reasons. One, it's cathartic to have a place to get all my thoughts out of my head, where I can examine them (and yes, even have them subject to public scrutiny). I am, by nature, an introvert - shy, yes, but really just not the sort of person who engages people casually. Small talk not only bores me, it makes me feel extraordinarily uncomfortable. If you want to hold an in-depth conversation with me on cosplay, Doctor Who, or the cultural implications of self-expression among Japanese youth through fashion, I'll talk your ear off (at least until you beg off, or run away screaming). You ask me about the weather or compliment my shoes, my replies are likely to be monosyllabic (and I'll be the one running, as soon as it's polite to do so). Writing this blog excuses me from small talk, but also ensures that when I engage in discussions on topics for which I am strongly passionate, the people reading are people who want to engage in those discussions, too.
Another reason - my fiancé is holding my favorite book hostage, and unless I blog every day, he's going to dog ear a page. I think he's just crazy enough to do it, too.
Or I could just make a big damn mess of it. So...excuse my mess!
This is as good a place as any for my introduction, so here goes: I'm Jessa.
Whew, that was easier than I thought!
I guess that was a pretty terrible introduction, so I'll give you a few more details (none of which are likely to give you any indication as to the purpose or intent of this blog):
I'm a homeschooling mother of three living in Columbia, South Carolina. My oldest son is verging on 16, my daughter is almost 11, and my youngest son is nearly 10. (I'm not sure if having Christmas and three birthdays between December and February was brilliant planning, or a tragic misstep - sure, you catch all the great sales, but then you're tapped out for the rest of the year! Yikes!) I have a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and I'm currently working on a personal project that I hope will help me get into a graduate program in the next couple of years (though I'm not guaranteeing a post on that, anytime soon). I'm a huge nerd and a complete geek (and there is a distinction, but you CAN be both!); you'll likely see a lot on this blog on everything from gaming (console, PC, pencil and paper, and even board games) to books (nearly always better than the film, I promise you), from science fiction and fantasy (and every sub-genre within - steampunk, cyberpunk, high magic, urban fantasy...I could go on forever), to history, science, and social issues. I'm all over the map, so this blog probably will be, too.
I love to read and write, and I have been told on occasion that I have a talent for writing. You're probably not going to see that, here. Sure, there may be glimmers, but this is really an experiment for me - a process that I'm working my way through. I enjoy reading blogs, but I've never written one beyond a few posts, and I've finally committed to sticking with one. That means things are going to be rocky. I'm not just learning to write a blog; I'm learning all the stuff that goes along with that, a little at a time. So while you see the basic sort of layout and template that Blogger provides, here, over time I hope to make the visual improvements on my own. For a geeky, nerdy type, my computer skills are barely above the average user - something I'm trying to change. Granted, that requires me taking my nose out of my books for longer than it takes to make a blog post, so you may be waiting awhile.
So why am I writing this blog? There are quite a few reasons. One, it's cathartic to have a place to get all my thoughts out of my head, where I can examine them (and yes, even have them subject to public scrutiny). I am, by nature, an introvert - shy, yes, but really just not the sort of person who engages people casually. Small talk not only bores me, it makes me feel extraordinarily uncomfortable. If you want to hold an in-depth conversation with me on cosplay, Doctor Who, or the cultural implications of self-expression among Japanese youth through fashion, I'll talk your ear off (at least until you beg off, or run away screaming). You ask me about the weather or compliment my shoes, my replies are likely to be monosyllabic (and I'll be the one running, as soon as it's polite to do so). Writing this blog excuses me from small talk, but also ensures that when I engage in discussions on topics for which I am strongly passionate, the people reading are people who want to engage in those discussions, too.
Another reason - my fiancé is holding my favorite book hostage, and unless I blog every day, he's going to dog ear a page. I think he's just crazy enough to do it, too.
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