Reindeer Run & a New Mattress

Back in December, on the 19th, our family participated in the Reindeer Run in Tempe. When I say "our family participated," what I mean is that Lizzie, Eli and Adam ran, I took pictures, Ivy cheered. We made our kids run the full 5 Kilometers, in the hopes that we would actually find the limit to their energy levels. None of this sissy "Kids Fun Run" 1 mile stuff for them.

We met the Andrews there - here's all the runners before the race!

Coming in for the finish at 40 minutes! Lizzie ran the whole way. Eli sprinted and walked. And balance-beamed on curbs and jumped over rails and zig-zagged around the trail the whole way.

Ivy gets to talk to Santa:
It was right about here that I overheard Ivy and Santa's conversation. Let me share with you what I heard:

Santa: What's your name?

Ivy: Ivy

Santa: Have you been a good girl this year?

Ivy: {Smile and Nod}

Santa: Do you keep your room clean and help your mom?

Ivy: {Smile and Nod}

Santa: What do you want for Christmas, Ivy?

Ivy: A New Mattress

Santa: What??

Ivy: A New Mattress.

It was at this point that I whisked my daughter away from Santa Claus. I didn't realize that Ivy had changed her Christmas request to "a new mattress" but I understood why:

We'd been rearranging the kids' bedrooms all month to prepare for the arrival of the baby. Earlier that week, we'd had a scary incident - a table lamp had been left on, directly on top of Ivy's bed. When we found it two hours later, it had singed the sheet into a perfect black circle. When I lifted the sheet up, it revealed that the mattress too had been singed. Ivy watched in horror as I got a spoon and scooped out the black burned part of her mattress. It looked like a cupholder had been inserted into the mattress.

Ivy was rightly traumatized. We flipped the mattress over and put on fresh, unburnt sheets, but she cried when we tried to put her to bed for three nights in a row. Then we thought she was over it.

Until her encounter with Santa. But, I convinced myself that maybe it wasn't that weird for a 4-yr old to ask for a new mattress and we went off to watch the race start.

While we were waiting for the runners to return, Ivy found Santa again. She wanted to say hi. I agreed.

Santa didn't remember Ivy. He went through the same drill as before, and when he got to the part about what she would like for Christmas, Ivy's answer was the same,

"A New Mattress."

The lightbulb went on for Santa, "Oh, I remember you. Don't you want a Barbie or something?"

At this point, I felt I needed to intervene..."You see, her mattress was accidently burned this week when a lamp was left on..." I started, but then never finished because I realized that the words coming out of my mouth were making Santa look at me with a look of pity and concern - pity that we were such a W.T. family and concern that I was obviously bringing a new child into this pathetic situation where all our 4-year old girl wanted for Christmas was A New Mattress!

Well, Santa must have forgiven us, because lo and behold, on Christmas morning, Ivy got a very nice pillow-top New Mattress with a big red bow on it. And the best part is, she didn't even notice it next to the new baby doll and crib he also brought for her.