The Christmas “Gotcha!”

When my youngest was about four years old, I signed him up for the Sheriff’s Santa Program.

Every year the Sheriff’s Reserve would dress up one of their own and the Sheriff’s deputies would drive them around to participating Carson City Nevada homes, so that the children could visit with Santa on Christmas Eve. When we told our little one that Santa was going to stop by, he made sure that all his ducks were in a row – dinner was done, plate in the sink, pajamas and teeth brushed, ready to see Santa.

Our oldest son pranked his little four-year-old brother several times that evening by saying, “Hey everyone, I hear Santa!”

Our little one would run to the front door and throw open the door’s mail slot to peer outside and then turn away disappointed, much to my dismay and our eldest son’s amusement.

Each time, he taunted our littlest with, “Gotcha!”

We continued our movie while we waited in anticipation, when all of a sudden, my four-year-old jumped up and excitedly ran to the front door, yelling, “Santa’s here!”

My eldest got up and went to the front door and opened it. There was nobody there.

My youngest turned to him and said, “Gotcha!”