The last few years of Santa have been difficult for I-man.  He gets excited and then when we get there he goes all Ralphie on us and forgets everything, a temporary amnesiac.  Its really crazy at the mall.  There are dozens of people in line.  And then you turn a corner and boom there is Santa.  I get it.  It would be like running into the President at a gas station.  In those circumstances I probably wouldn't be the most articulate person in the world either. 

But this year was different.

We, of course, hunted down a Real Beard Santa (what's the point otherwise?).  This year we went back to the Burlington Mall and despite what Bianca would tell you, their Santa is impeccable.  He is always in character.  Isaac and I spotted it walking the mall on a break and he was glad handing with kids like he was running for office.   He is cheery without being fake or ditzy.  And he does take his time with each kid.

We got to the front of the line and Isaac kinda took charge.  He sauntered up to the dais and starting talking.  It was quiet but still it was unprompted talking.  Santa bent over and listened.  Both Bianca and I bent over too.  There was too much noise for us to hear.  Then Santa looked at us with a look that told us that Isaac's request was surprising.  We asked him to repeat what he said.

Isaac, in a slightly louder voice, told all three of us: "I want a Snow Leopard and an Anaconda for Christmas."

Santa looked at us and gave us bit of instruction: "Did you get that Mom and Dad?"  We nodded, acknowledging the receipt of the message.  Our kid--he is his own person.  No Toys'R'Us commercial telling him what he wants.  Fortunately Santa will be successful.

BTW, its quite odd, but every year I get the same feeling talking to Santa that I do when I am in court talking to a judge.  "Yes, Santa."  "No, Santa."  Its all very formal and prompt.  I guess in a way they both deal with the naughty and nice list.

 

So we sit down in the bean bag chair tonight with Twas the Night Before Christmas and I test Isaac to see if he knew the first line.  That was easy.  Done in a second.  Then he kept going and going.  He knew the words to about 85% of the book and said each stanza on his own with a prompting of one or two words from me. 

Never would I have guessed that he could do that.  I am so stunned, so amazed, I can't believe it.  I know every parent thrills as their kid's accomplishments, but holy shit.  That is a long story. 

REALLY BLOWN AWAY.

I know it is a little early, but we all love Christmas here, so we have been reading Isaac 'Twas the Night Before Christmas for some time now.  I loves the story and the rhymes and we have a version with beautiful illustrations (thanks Amanda!).  Each night I read him the story, snuggled up in his bean bag chair. 

Tonight though I decided to try something different.  At the end of each stanza I left off the last word.  I would read, for instance:

'Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the House
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a ...."

Isaac would finish the stanza with: "mouse".

He did it with the first stanza, and the second, and the third.  He kept going completing some of the more esoteric parts of the story.  Then he hit words he didn't know, but remember.  He kept going.  Page after page, stanza after stanza.  He got words like "Blitzen" and "thistle" though I am sure he has no idea what they mean.  Like a little poetry machine he kept getting the right answers.   In all, he got a perfect 100%, 27 out of 27 correct.

It is not a rare thing to be impressed by your kid, but it is a rare thing to witness them take such a big step all at once.  AMAZING.