Lucy thinks Santa is more powerful than we are. More powerful than Mrs. Robinson. Or the Easter Bunny. More powerful than God himself.
Our little Santa-worshipper has been a model child recently. HE IS WATCHING, after all. We remind her of this at every turn. Earlier this week, she was refusing to go to bed and Jason turned to me gravely: "Mom, you better get Santa's phone number." She wailed, then begged, as calmly as she could, for us "please please please please" not to call him. The fear of Santa is our main parenting technique at the moment. God (or Santa?) help us on December 26.