Christmas 2010

The WORST stocking of all time!!  I had to showcase it:)

Boston received Coal for Christmas...

Well this Christmas was a little different this year...our kids are getting older, and some a little wiser...

This year has been a rough year for Boston...I guess I can chalk it up to the fact that he's the only boy...but really I think he's just testing our patience as parents:)  Usually when this kind of stuff happens...especially around Christmas we pull the 'ol "You better be good, or Santa won't bring you any presents" routine...and it works pretty good.  (It's usually pretty amazing)  However this year, Boston decided it would be fun to test how good he really would need to be, in order for Santa to come.

So 2 days before Christmas this year, I overheard him talking to Brooklyn and Paris. They were pleading with him to be good so he could get presents...his response, "Oh it will be okay, I was bad 85% of the whole last year and Santa still got me presents, so I think he'll come anyway."....PUNK!  So later, I ask him to clean up his room and he responds, "No, I don't feel like it."  After we had a short and very direct conversation about the room situation, I decided to have a little chat about this whole Santa situation:) 

Me:  So Boston, how come you're being so rotten right before Santa comes?
Boston:  Oh, because I think Santa's a fake and dad and you get me the presents.
Me:  Oh, okay...so why would we still want to get you presents if you're being so disrespectful to us?
Boston:  Because that's what parents have to do no matter what, get their kids presents for Christmas.
(I'm thinking...have I taught you NOTHING!!!!)  I guess all my Christmas stories, donating toys, and our FHE's devoted to the real meaning of Christmas, simply went in one ear and out the other...

So it was ON!  I called Phil and immediately told him about our conversation...HE IS SO GETTING COAL...NO MATTER WHAT!  We both agreed, but since it was so close to Christmas we weren't sure how we were going to gain access to this coal.  Luckily, Hobby Lobby had some great rocks that resembled coal...and our plan was in motion....

My mom and dad were here in November and left their presents for the kids, his was large enough that it had already received lots of attention, and he knew that he had that present coming to him, so we left that one untouched.  My mom called Boston on Christmas Eve and asked him to be good, but Boston refused and told her the same thing...he was still going to get presents.  So my mom helped us by setting the stage, she said that usually she gives a special call to Santa asking for him to still deliver presents to him, but this year she's been to busy to call.

The next morning he wakes us up at 7:30am (which is pretty late for our kids) and you can tell he's been crying.  He said with his lower lip quivering, "Mom, Santa came...he gave everyone else presents, but he actually just got me coal."  I know this sounds mean, but I was trying to hold back laughter!  It was just too good!  It was completely worth his bad attitudes and "rudiness" over the past 2 days:)

We had thought of everything...after we allowed the girls to open a few presents in front of him, we referred him to a note in the tree.  After he opened it, he learned that "Santa" received a call from his Nana after he had already left and he just had enough time to leave his presents in the back room:) 

I'm thinking he learned a great lesson...it doesn't matter where the presents come from...but to get them, you still have to be good:)