Santa Stories and Other December Deceptions

Santa dropped by our place tonight just to check if the girls had been naughty or nice this year. All of this was orchestrated with the utmost secrecy and deviancy...how would we explain the absence of reindeer, the early evening visit, or the sudden appearance of presents after Santa left. Regretably, it would seem that Lil is destined to be a lawyer, always looking for the fine print, and minute details...so we weren't really sure that we could sell the Santa story to her. Grace on the other hand took one look at Santa and ran the other way...exactly the response we would appreciate if Grace encountered a stranger dressed in a velvet suit under any other circumstances.
So Lil was moderately convinced, and Grace was quite miffed, but Bella - was ENTHRALLED with Santa - could not get enough of his jelly belly and white beard. I have a 15 year old yorkie at home Santa confessed. So next year we'll skip the elaborate schemes and stories and just take Bella to Petsmart to get her photo taken with Santa.
If I was to be perfectly honest, I would admit that December is a bear of a month for me - full of to-do lists, speeding around in my mom van, buying, wrapping and hiding gifts, preparing masses of food that is guaranteed to raise my cholesterol by 3 points, all in the name of peace on earth. Despite my altered state by December 24 I do know that I will return to my version of normal by December 26 and that it is all worth it to see the excitement in my children's faces as they discover their gifts on Christmas morning....as long as Bella doesn't unwrap them overnight.