Friday, December 5, 2008

Worked like a CHARM

Last night my kids were all on one, and they all wanted to sleep in my bed. I will usually allow them turns to sleep in my bed and to fall asleep in my bed, and then I move them before Chet gets home. But last night, they were all fighting over whose turn it was, and I just was not in the mood to argue with them, so I just said- ALL of you can fall asleep in my bed tonight! YEAH!! Problem solved, right?!?! WRONG! I knew it wouldn't be, but I always have that hope that THIS time it will work, and they will all fall asleep peacefully. Instead I hear, your leg is touching my leg, and so and so won't stop talking and MOO-OOMM so and so is stealing all the covers! So, I sat down for a few minutes to try and think of a way to get them all out of my room, and have them think it was their idea!!

As I was sitting a MARVELOUS idea came to my mind, and I came into the computer room and I typed out a letter from Santa to each of my kids. It read,

Dear Dante, Erin and Ethan,

You have been such good children this year. I'm so proud of y'all. I know you can keep being good for your mom and doing what she asks when she asks so that you can make sure to get presents on Christmas morning. My elves are out now and they are watching, which means you should go to bed when your mom asks and you should all sleep in your own beds.
I know that when my elves check on you each night you will be asleep because you are such good children. I'm counting on you, because I want to bring you a whole sack of toys!

Ho,ho,ho,
Santa

I gave it to Erin to give to Dante to read out loud to all of the kids in my bed.... and the next thing I know they are all running into me, and saying, "MOM! Santa wrote us a letter! I CAN'T believe that he ACTUALLY wrote us a letter!"

I mean, they were over the top excited- and the next thing I knew they were all running into their own rooms, lights out, under covers and fast asleep! I was in shock!

This morning, when I woke up I found Dante already up (which isn't often that he is up before me) and he is sitting at the table writing Santa a letter. It was so cute! Here is his picture and letter.


Here is the cover of the letter- he made Santa in the red suit (black pen) and then he is next to Santa and they are holding hands. He told me he wanted to wear a hat like Santa's. :)
Then when you open the card you see his writing. Chet and I thought it was funny how at the end he wrote:
ps. Have you had feelings?

So, when he got home from school I asked him what he meant, and he said that he wanted to know if Santa ever got sad or if he was always SO joyful all the time. If he had any other feelings. He is such a caring kid!

Erin and Ethan also wrote him a little letters too, and we will be taping them to our front door for the "elves" to take back to Santa! And then Santa will hopefully write back tomorrow, when the elves come again to "check" on my kiddos!

Seriously- you should try the letter from Santa thing- because:

A: The kids will LOVE it!
B: The kids will do WHATEVER you want them to (as long as Santa actually says it:))

The magic of believing!!!

3 comments:

Stephanie said...

Oh, such a smart mamma

Andrea said...

What a cute idea. Maybe a little manipulative, but hey, whatever works, right? I wonder what they'll think about that when they're all grown up:)

Amber Staub said...

Thanks for the fantastic idea. I am using it for sure.