December Dilemma

It was inevitable. And it happened today. We were in Target in the return line and I was pleading with CityBaby to stand still and stop fidgeting. I know the Target return line is the last place he wanted to be but it had to be done. I was employing one of my great parenting skills: bribery. I can't recall the exact words but it was something along the lines of: if you stop and behave, I will buy you a toy. Yep, that was it. Exactly. So, the kind woman in the Christmas sweater in front of me turned around and smiled at us and looked down at CityBaby and said, "you must have been a good boy to get a toy." Then it happened in a blink of an eye. It was like the vase that is falling off the table. You see it in slow motion and run to catch it, but you can't get there fast enough to stop it from smashing all over the floor.

"What did you ask Santa for, you good little boy?"

And, there it was. All over the floor, a million pieces of glass.

CityBaby looked up at her, with this quizzical look on his face that quickly turned to a blank stare. Oy. I smiled weakly. One of those "I didn't hear what you said but I am going to act like I did" smiles. Luckily, the next cashier was open and she was called away. I exhaled.

I guess the good thing is that he didn't wish her "Happy Chanukah." Or say "Who's Santa?" or "What is Santa?" or tell her something way worse.

I came home and made a note on a post-it that reads "Discuss Christmas."