He knows if you've been bad or good worse

We have a yearly tradition at the Pettingill house. We get together right after Thanksgiving (usually that weekend) and make gingerbread houses. We used to have it be a competition, but since Jason and I won every year we stopped doing it. I mean these houses were AWESOME! I would look for pictures, but I'm too lazy right now to go find them in my scrapbooks. Mom puts together the houses the night before and then we just gather for the candy-fest and dinner. We've been doing this now for 8 years. Mom used to make real gingerbread, but now she just uses graham crackers because it is much easier. The kids love to make them and have fun getting together. Brendan will eat one candy and then put one on his house. It's a 1/1 ratio.

The last 4 or so years we have added the tradition of having Santa come and visit. The kids go absoultely crazy about it. This year we had to tell them 100 times or more that he would be there at 7. "How much longer??" was like "Are we there yet?" It was fun though to see the kids so excited. Now, this is no ordianary mall Santa. This is the REAL Santa. And he brings Mrs. Clause too. Do you recognize him?? It is one of my best friends parents! My mom made him his authentic Santa Suit. They live in our ward. Yes, Santa and Mrs. Clause are in our ward... hows that for motivation each week? Now they come to our Gingerbread House Night every year. They come in the house ringing his bells and the kids run and hide because they are so excited. Then they sing some songs with the kids as volunteers to be Rudolph and to ring his bells. Then they pull out their "Naughty/Nice" list. We actually email them before this event and tell them nice things about them and the things they need to work on. You should see their faces! Sheepish and totally shocked that they KNEW the things that they were doing. You can see in one of the pictures Brendan talking about the thing he needs to work on... sleeping in his own bed by himself. After they go through every kid and they get to tell them what they want for Christmas, they sit all the kids down and read them a story. We love it that they come over!!

Ever since that night we have fought Brendan to sleep in his bed. As soon as it is time, he still puts up that fight. And it is getting worse. We don't instantly reward him anymore. Last night I asked if he wanted me to call Santa. He freaked out of course and cried at the very thought, but still did not want to go to bed. We reminded him that his elves are watching him all the time- to which he replied "No their not. I looked outside and they are not in the flowers. They can't see me."