We had our chimney cleaned today and also removed the heinous 70s-looking screen that was attached to the wall.  Sophie was intrigued by the suddenly visible interior.  I found her plopped down in front of it, legs criss-crossed apple sauce (sort of like Carol Anne sitting mesmerized in front of the TV in “Poltergeist”).

When I asked her why she was sitting there so intently, she responded, “I’m waiting for Santa.”  I didn’t have the heart to let her know that she’d be waiting there a really long time.  Biding her time for six months at the earliest, forever at the latest.

Instead I let her know that Santa is currently on vacation at the North Pole, taking a much-needed break before he and the elves pick up steam in the fall.  She was perplexed.  “Is the North Pole in the sky?’

I explained that it’s on earth, where it’s really cold.  Near Canada (she doesn’t know where Canada is, although she may remember that our friend is from Canada).  She left it at that – and slowly got up,  retrieved Master Mind and challenged me to a few rounds of intense code-breaking.