St. Nick

Ever since I was a little kid I always loved the Christmas holiday season. In the beginning of December I would always have a stocking out for St. Nick to come. My parents referred to St. Nick as Santa's "practice run" to prepare for Christmas Eve. When I was little I actually believed this was true. I am an only child, so to me St. Nick was a mini Christmas. I would get my stocking full of candy and have little gifts all around the stocking. I guess you could say I was a pretty spoiled child. I remember one year I got a pair of brand new iceskates. When I was younger I loved iceskating. I took lessons and actually became pretty good at it. I would always rent my iceskates, so to me getting a brand new pair of iceskates was like the best thing in the world that could happen to me. Since I had my two children I haven't dare tried to go iceskating. I doubt I could even do it anymore. Since I always had good memories as a child for St. Nick I wanted to carry on the tradition for my two children.
I usually only give my children candy and some small little gifts, so I guess I don't go as far as my parents did. They appreciate it and enjoy it a lot. However, this year my oldest Molly decided that she was going to pretend she was sleeping and wait up for St. Nick. It was about one in the morning and I was setting the stockings up and she came out of her room without making a sound and screamed mom on the top of her lungs. I don't think I ever jumped that hard in my life! She demanded to know what I was doing with her stocking in my hand. She saw the open candy bags laying on the floor and insisted that St. Nick would not leave behind open candy bags. She became in tears yelling that there was no Santa Claus or St. Nick. I'm not quite ready for her to find out the truth about Santa and St. Nick, so I told her he wanted me to help him with the stockings because he was so busy and that I was organizing them. Molly being the first grader that she is didn't buy it for one second. She went back to bed very disappointed. My father works third shift and sometimes picks her up in the morning and takes her to school. She would never put together that he would put the stockings out at his house before he went to work. He picked my children up and on the way to school he stopped at his house and had Molly run inside. She found two stockings hanging there for her and her brother. She now believes in St. Nick and Santa again thank goodness. Saved by grandpa.