So what if it's a lie.

Cameron apparently is too cool for Santa.

Ella wants nothing to do with the scary-looking man.

But Max, he’s all about the jolly white-bearded guy from the North Pole.

And somehow he’s quite aware of the ramifications of being on the naughty or the nice list.

If I even say that he’s acting naughty, the first words out of his mouth are, “But I want Santa to bring me presents!”

Today, I didn’t even need to say the word naughty; he knew that when he was screaming and spinning around when we were waiting for a table at restaurant that he was not on good behavior. All I had to do was look at him cross, and he flashed those big eyes at me and started whining, “But I WANT Santa to bring me presents.”

This morning was the best. We were eating breakfast at the buffet in the resort where we were staying and Santa was sitting right outside of the eating area, just waiting for little kids to come by. He had a clear view of Max. During breakfast, Max was a very good boy, and remarked about his own good behavior quite often during his morning feast.

I figure I have maybe one more season to tap into this Santa thing with Max…oh and you bet I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth!