rudolph the red-nosed...murderer?

Our street is home to so many kids of all ages. Avery is definitely the youngest, but there are a couple close to her age. This story isn't about them. L1 is a six year old who Avery & I visit with a few times a month. He has a just-turned-three year old sister and sometimes she comes over too. If we're playing outside L1 stops by to chat and if his baby sister K is with him, she desperately wants Avery to play. Once when I was pushing Avery in her car down the street I could hear L1 & K running and whispering (loudly!) trying to catch up to us so K could see Avery. It was really cute.

So today Avery & I were walking out to check the mail and lots of kids were out playing all up and down the street, so L1 & his five year old neighbor L2 come walking across the street where they'd been hiding (not in their yards) and our conversation goes something like this...

L1: Guess what?
Me: What?
L1: His (L2) brother has a knife and is going to kill him!
Me: A real knife?
L1: Yeah, a real knife! His brother is inside and he's outside.
L2: Literally, he's going to kill me. I think he can jump off the roof and stab him.

Him who, I have no idea. But you guys, L2 said "literally" and had on reindeer ears that he made himself. I'm sad to admit that it took me longer than it should have to realize he was Rudolph. I looked at his face for the longest time as they kept talking to me because he had some red splotches on his nose, scratchy looking lines on his right cheek near his nose and a little red on the left. After a few minutes and some kind of "Be careful out there!" remark from me, they walked off to play.

Avery & I played outside for a while and the boys came back. Our conversation turned to Santa and when I asked what they were asking Santa for, L1 told me he was asking for a puppy so his dog would have someone to play with. Isn't that sweet?! Then L2 told me 1) a knife so he could kill his brother & 2) a Peter Pan suit. Seriously.

I'm not even sure what the point of all this is anymore, but murderous Christmas wishes aside - he wants a Peter Pan costume. How cute is that?! I'm pretty sure he won't really kill his brother but just in case, Santa - if you're reading this - do NOT get L2 a knife for Christmas. But Peter Pan suits are perfectly welcome.

And guess who still hasn't taken any pictures this week? That's right, me. But last December I did. On the day we decorated our tree.