you know what tonight is

don't you? The night when all the little German (and German-American) kids put their boots out for St. Nicholas to fill. I love this tradition that I grew up with. Here's a new take on a old theme: Me: you better straighten up or you won't get candy from St. Nicholas. Maddie: or what? I'll get nothing? I'll get a lump of coal? Me: no, when I was little, St. Nicholas brought switches for bad kids. Maddie: what are switches? Me: long sticks for parents to swat the bad children's butts. Maddie: that's pretty violent.

 

Maddie is so on the brink of not believing. Yesterday she asked me why does he always bring candy canes & clementines? I know there's an answer for that in a legend somewhere. I need to look it up & refresh my memory. I don't recall asking specifically about it when I was little; we just took it for granted that we always got tangerines & candy canes. I think the candy canes represent his shepard's crook thing; don't all saints have one to walk with??? And I vaguely remember the oranges representing something (duh). Better get to looking b4 she wakes up. She wants to do a little presentation for her class. Coincidentally, Madster's snack day falls on St Nicholas Day. She thought stollen would be a "very appropriate" snack to share.

She said she would tell her friend Z to put out her boots too. I told her St Nicholas only comes to German kids. She (barely) mumbles under breath "yeah right; I know it's you guys". She volunteered her requests to Santa last week -but a couple weeks ago she told me her theory about parents giving all the gifts. We talked about it a little; she even revised her list so as to not have so many "expensive" things on it. It seems she'd rather have alot of gifts under the tree rather than a couple pricey ones. It's a little sad that she's outgrowing santa. Ah well. At least she's in 3rd grade. Then again, Nikki -who will deny it with all her being- believed until she was at least 10.