groups

Mark’s First Visit to Santa (true story)

Mark was almost four years old when I took him to see Santa Claus for the first time. I should have known better. With wide eyes he watched children and Santa interact– some screaming before they even sat on his lap. The fact he was so quiet should have alerted me. Finally it was his turn and he and Santa had a very quiet conversation. Santa stopped laughing and started getting really red in the face and it was obvious he wanted Mark to depart. Mark walked to the edge of the platform and announced, “He is a fake people!”

My kids were 9 and 5 at the time. We were visiting my folks that particular Christmas, and my dad was on his best comic behavior.

That eve, he was going on about being visited by Santa Claus and trying to get a look at him when he showed up. The grandkids weren't quite sure what to believe with respect to Santa or their goofy grandad.
Earlier that day, dad had borrowed some deer antlers from my uncle and found a Santa cap someplace. While the rest of the family was gathered in the kitchen, dad had slipped outside unnoticed. He donned a ripped up T-shirt and then threw a couple of tire carcasses onto the house roof. Naturally, this made quite a racket that all of us inside took note of.
Then he started hollering: "Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! No! Come back! Rudolph! Prancer! Dasher!" This was followed with him bursting in thru the front door, feigning breathlessness and gripping the antlers and Santa hat.
"Dang kids! I almost had him! I almost nabbed santa before he took off!"

Of course, the kids were wide-eyed as could be as dad excitedly told of trying to hold onto Rudolph and ending up with the antlers and a ripped T-shirt. Snow in his hair and clinging to his shoes - he really did have the kids believing he'd almost hijacked the jolly man himself. My old man was such a clown.

Sah - your Mark sounds like he kept you on your toes. I can imagine old "Santa's" face was as red as his suit when Mark made his big announcement.

Moral of the story - always, always, always be alert when a four year old is quiet!

I love it!

Suny

Arcade - now I know who you take after! I would love to have witnessed that scene and I think your dad is one in a million!

How was the rest of Christmas for the kids!!!!

LOL

Sunny

It was some years before I realized that I admired and therefor emulated my dad's attempts at being court jester whenever the chance presented itself.

For his 80th birthday bash, I donned a gorilla costume and raided his party - literally raising hell with him and other relatives. I just grunted, growled and screamed until I finally revealed who I was. I actually SCARED my poor mother! She and my dad hadn't a clue I'd flown in for the event and my mom was fairly certain that someone had crashed the wrong birthday party that day.
One of the guests was an uncle of mine who's only 5 years older than I am. When we were young, he used to regularly beat the snot out of me. At this party - me having physically outgrown him years ago - I embarrassed him BIG time! There's a chance I had more fun that day than my dad did!

This contest has been discontinued for lack of participation.

The Drabble Contest will take it's place. See the new thread.