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I hope that guy gets to keep the narwhal tusk.
The resistance turned out to be more amazing, surreal and complicated than anyone could have imagined. Utterly in awe of those selfless people who managed to stop something even worse happening.
It was the local school Christmas Fayre this afternoon and Phoebe got to meet Father Christmas for the fourth time. She got stage fright and was unable to tell Santa that she wanted a watch for Christmas and the elf suggested she might want a dolly. It’s a bit gender stereotyping of them, but you have to remember those elves come from a different generation. Phoebe was freaked out the first two times she met Santa, but this was Ernie’s first time (him and I had some king of norovirus this time last year) and he took it his stride. He said he wanted a watch, but only because I had reminded Phoebe that that was what she wanted. So now we’re going to end up with a watch for a child who is too young to understand what it is and a dolly for a child who does not conform to the stereotypes that society seems to wish to impose on her. I am hoping we can write to Father Christmas and put this right. Or at least we can give Phoebe the watch and Ernie the dolly and everyone will be happy. It’s out of our hands now.
Actually we get another shot as we are also going to go the Christmas Fayre at the school in the next village, because that’s where Phoebe goes. So this annoying inconvenience of being forced to straddle two communities might play into our hands. Though the dangers of meeting Father Christmas twice in a week with a clever four year old might lead to disaster.
I wonder when the doubts will start creeping in. For now Santa remains an exciting in theory, but overwhelming (or possibly underwhelming) in person, figure. Lovely for the parents to observe, but the kids know there’s something weird going on. What a wonderful and odd tradition.
