Santa owes me. Big time.

Warning: Long story filled with probably unimportant details.

So, I'm at Walmart the other day (not too common for me) with the kids. Carson & Layla are perusing the Lego aisle like it's some kind of donut-filled bakery. I see this great Lego set on sale, so I grabbed it and put it on the bottom rack of our shopping cart. I think I had some shampoo and soap in the regular cart part and was willing to take a chance that Carson wouldn't see it. (I know it sounds silly, because shopping carts are see-through wire grates, but in my defense, such tactics have worked in the past.)

But the Lego box was fairly large, and of course he saw it. "Mom!! Mommmm!!! LOOOK what is in the bottom of our cart!" [Then, somewhat defensively] "I didn't put it there, mom. I DIDN'T. I don't even know how it got there, it just did!! Maybe the elves put it there. Can we buy it, mom? Can we? I didn't put it there, I was just looking at the other Legos and I turned around and it was THERE!!" etc. etc.

I almost laughed -- he was so convinced that this was his own personal Christmas miracle.

Anyway, I had to respond, and FAST. Mentally, I was like this: Dang. How'd he see it? I should just put it back on the shelf. But then I'd have to come BACK here to get it again. How can I work in a pseudo-return on the item? Once it's home, I'm scot-free. Nuts. WHY did I think he wouldn't see it? etc.etc.

Verbally, I stumbled through lots of "maybe"s and "oh, I dunno"s in response to his desperate pleas to buy said Lego set. I actually was saying lots of rather conflicting stuff until the following Plan finally solidified: "How about this: we'll buy the Legos so we can take it home, and we'll take your picture with the Lego box and we'll email it to Santa so he can see which Lego thing you really want, and then I'll just return it tonight after you go to bed. But I AM going to return it, so we can't even play with it at home, okay?"

Hallelulah. It worked.

Here's the photo Santa will be receiving via cyberspace shortly (notice Carson's head poking out the top, so Santa will know which boy to give this Lego set to...not sure what Layla's story is, other than trying to get some extra face time with the Jolly Man? Whatever):

Oh, and is it bad that I outright lied to Carson the next morning when he asked if I'd returned it? Because I did. To his face. Easily and guiltlessly.