Brutal winter prediction

Brace yourself, a brutal winter’s coming
I predict this coming winter will be a very brutal one based on the extreme heat we’ve endured this summer and the extraordinary amount of rain which fell this past spring.
I’m no expert on meteorology but I’m willing to bet this prediction will come true.
This means, you better stock up on shovels, sand and salt crystals. I’m sure these vital supplies will be available in stores very soon because holiday items are already starting to appear on retail shelves.
That’s right; the favorite holiday of retailers is just four months away. Once again, it’s time to start making your list and checking it twice.
I’ve already found myself warning the children, “Santa is watching you.” They immediately retreat from whatever mischief they’re involved in; it works every time. I don’t know what I’ll do when they stop believing.
Actually, they’ve begun to question me because classmates have told them, “There’s no such thing as Santa.”
When they ask me if this is true, I tell them, “No. They are wrong. There is a Santa. I just talked to him earlier today.”
Their eyes shine with excitement and curiosity. “Did you tell him I want a dog?” my daughter queries.
“Of course, I did, but he has to get your father’s approval” I reply.
This is not the first time I’ve had to reassure my child about her doubts. I hired a Hannah Montana look-a-like for her birthday party. She was so excited and so were most of her friends.
However, there were a couple of girls who didn’t think it was the real thing and didn’t hold back from telling the others, raining on my daughter’s parade.
Weeks later, she kept asking me, “was that really her because (name) said she was fake.”
My response was, “That’s too bad, honey…She’s just jealous because Hannah didn’t come to her party.”
Luckily, her bubble did not burst and I still got my money’s worth.
I admire the people who impersonate celebrities for a living, especially the mall Santa’s. Last year, I took my children to the Watertown Mall to visit their Santa.
We waited and waited as patiently as we could because he was on a rather long lunch break. The sign said he would be back by 2:00 p.m, but it was 2:30 p.m. and he was still missing.
We were about to leave because the children were getting very antsy. As we moped toward the exit, low and behold, there was Santa, walking toward us.
“Well, it’s about time,” I blurted out loud, accidentally.
“I mean, it’s so good to see you, Santa. I hope you had a good lunch,” I added, attempting to cover up my initial negative remark.
My oldest son looked at me and rolled his eyes, but didn’t say a word. I know he has had his doubts, but we’ve never spoken about it.
Deep down, we both still want to believe.
I hope we never let go of this precious piece of our childhood. The memories Santa has given us are priceless (not to mention, he’s given us some pretty good gifts, too).
Now, back to reality; brace yourselves everyone. Winter is coming and I’m willing to bet it’s going to be another record breaker.