Soapbox

Jelly Babies

So I’ve got this kid… and when I got up this morning I heard a little sound down in the kitchen. I peeked in and saw my 2-yr. old in her footie-sleeper, clutching her Mickey Mouse doll. She was on her tiptoes, reaching for a jar full of jellybeans that was sitting on the table.
I intercepted her and reminded her that we had bought those jelly beans as a Valentine’s Day gift for her Daddy, so she mustn’t eat them. I told her that after we gave them to him she could ask him to share them with her. She regarded me somberly for a moment, thumb in mouth, and then wailed,
“I want Santa to bring something for me, too!”
I gave her a hug. “No no, honey- those are a gift to Daddy from us, remember? Santa will come later, and put presents for you under our Christmas tree.”
She got a look of horror on her face and howled,
“But Mommy, the- the- the garbage m-man took away our Christmas tree!!”
Oh dear; so he did. Now what, Mom?