waiting in anticipation

I really didn't think Lulu would "get" the whole Santa thing this year.
But the man in red is pretty much everywhere these days, so it's pretty difficult for him not to be the main subject of conversation around here.
All Lulu's favourite shows have the whole Santa theme happening.
Max & Ruby, Blues Clues, and even her beloved Toopy & Binoo were dressed up like mini Santas.
Every store we enter seems to have an image or figurine of Santa, and in a few instances the man himself was there in the flesh.
Big daddy and I were trying to decide how to go about celebrating Santa & Christmas in general.
Chanukah is pretty straight forward, we lit the menorah each night and ate latkas.
(which I bought from Nortown as I couldn't bear the thought of stinking up the house with fried oil)
we played with the drediel and ate Brisket, barley pilaff and roasted vegetables with friends and family.
Simple & fun with no made up stories involved.
Thus the moral dilemma.
Do we tell Lulu that some fat guy in a red suit is going to squeeze down the chimney in the middle of the night?
(even though we tell her to stay away from the fireplace because it's dangerous and HOT)
and he's basically doing a B&E, but instead of stealing the dvd, car keys and laptop, he's actually going to leave presents for her, without once setting off the alarm..
hmm.
Maybe I'm giving it too much consideration.
I mean as a kid I loved the whole concept of reindeer on our rooftop with Santa eating the milk & cookies we put out for him.
Every year I was determined to stay awake long enough to hear the hooves above and try to sneak a peek at Jolly Ol' St. Nick.

warning spoiler ahead.

My parents pulled out all the stops trying to keep the "story" alive for as long as possible.
My dad even dressed up one year and got up on the roof (I'm sure after a few rye & ginger's- he was only in his early twenties after-all)
They even left fake snow foot prints on the red carpet in the living room (hey it was the seventies)
The note I had left for Santa was wrinkled and even covered in soot, cookie crumbs left on the plate.
But ultimately I uncovered the truth.
Not sure when, but I do remember pretending to still believe for my younger brother's sake (and to perpetuate the awesome loot left by Santa every Christmas morning)

So I guess we will just have to play it by ear.
Though it is highly unlikely that Big daddy will ever dress up in a Santa suit and get up on the roof...
But something tells me he won't mind partaking in the eating of the cookie ritual.