Convincing My Children Santa is Real

One of my all time Christmas story involves my children at that age when you convinced them that Santa will visit them if they were good. A little before midnight, I got on the roof with heavy boots, jingling bells and a red lens flashlight. Our roof had a domed skylight and while I was supposed to be away at work, I got on the roof and laughed out loud Ho Ho Ho while stomping my boots and ringing the bells around the perimeter of the skylight then called out "On Dancer....On Prancer...and then climbed of the roof quietly. I sneaked into the house and ate the cookies and drank the glass of milk my daughter left out for Santa. I left on of the little bells stuck into the side of the chair and my Santa's hat caught in the doorway as the door closed. When my 3 yr old daughter woke up and walked down the stairs. she could see that outside of the window in the yard was a fully erected swing and titter totter slide set. She noticed that the cookies were eaten and the milk drunk, then the bell that got caught in the chair and the Santa's hat caught in the door. She started to cry and asked if the swing set outside was real. It brought tears to my eyes also, and also while writing this. She now has two sons that I have not seen for over two years. I am hoping she is carrying on the tradition of Santa's visits at her house. Merry Christmas !!!