It was just last week that I learned about the super cool site called ICaughtSanta.com. There was a giveaway running at Shell’s place for a free “proof of Santa” photo, and I was one of the 5 lucky winners.
The premise of ICaughtSanta.com is rather clever. You start by uploading a photo you’ve taken of some room in your home. Then you choose from a dozen or so Santa poses, save it and print it!
A few nights before Christmas and after the girls were in bed, I took a picture of the fireplace in our family room. I chose a Santa who was standing sideways out of fear that one looking straight at the camera could raise some questions because he would look different than the “real” Santa who sent Kate a video message via the Portable North Pole. I adjusted his scale and brightness, then sent it to our printer.
The result?
Voila!
PROOF that Santa stood in our family room!
Christmas morning came, and we planned to keep Kate occupied in our bonus room until Maddie woke up.
She drank her milk.
I drank my coffee.
We played Wii bowling.
I had kind of forgotten about the picture I made until Craig came in, wished Kate a ‘Merry Christmas’ and then said, “Did Mommy tell you that she caught Santa last night?“
Kate’s eyes grew big and her mouth dropped open.
Craig reached over to the spot on his desk where he had been storing our undeniable proof that Santa had, in fact, been in our home. He placed the picture in front of her while telling the story of how I heard Santa come in and was able to catch him with my camera.
We both began to gloat and relish in our good work.
Which was a magnificent feeling for a whole 4.2 seconds.
Because that’s when our Special Agent to the FBI spotted the inconsistency noted below….
Where were the presents that had been sticking out of the top of Jack’s stocking?!?!
Our egos were instantaneously deflated, and we immediately shifted gears for Project: Cover Our Tails.
Turns out I had taken my photo one night too soon. I took the girls shopping for Jack’s presents the morning after creating my Santa masterpiece, and what we got him was too big for his stocking, so his stuffed dog toy had been peeking out of the top.
Thankfully, Craig was quick on the rebound with, “Santa must have just knocked into Jack’s stocking while coming down the chimney.“
Phew!
Crisis averted.
Barely.
Let this be a lesson to all of us parents when we think we’re too smart for our kids.
Even a newly-minted 5 year old can leave you shaking in your Santa boots!
Snort!! Snorty snort snort!
You are too clever for your own good there, missy!
Tell Craig good thinking!
I hate when thinking I’m the smart one bites me in the butt with my kids.
Hee!
That is hilarious. You cannot get much past kids.
Wow, what a smart little one you have! You should be a proud Mama! That’s impressive
Too funny!! You got a smart ass little girl on your hands!! So glad Craig was quick on the draw!! LOL!!!! That is a really cool photo. I think I need to do one of those next year!
She must be a ace at finding things in I-Spy book. I love the idea of the Santa picture.
This is exactly why I am completely terrified of the whole Santa set up…I just know I’m going to screw it up my first time out of the chute!
Cute story!
That Kate is one smart cookie!
Now that was some quick thinking! But the photo is AWESOME!!! How adorable! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, dear.
You have to be quick thinking around those 5 year olds!
The picture came out really good though.
What a funny, funny story! You always have to been on your toes and one step ahead of the kids – kids are much smarter than we think!
See, if I did that for my kid, he’d be terrified to sleep at night. Seriously. My kid hates Santa.
that is too cute, it so sounds like something that would happen at my help
at my house, not my help. can you tel I have not had caffeine this morning
Can only imagine your pounding heart!
Great save, as parents we really do know how to pull out the stops, don’t we …. even on no sleep!
The lies we spin & spin, eh? We’ve had to come up with a few this Christmas {and our oldest is 5 like Kate}. Smart little cookies.
And I’ll have to keep that photo site in mind for next Christmas. Great idea!
I have a solution for next year:
You’re gonna have to catch Santa. For real.
What a smarty pants!
Both Kate and Craig. That was a clever comeback on his part!
Sometimes, kids are just too smart for their own good!
Oh lol, I love this. You’re going to have to be really sneaky and meticulous if you want to fool Kate!
I had to hurry up and read this before my kids came in. They might get suspicious is they realize more than just me caught Santa.
Nice save, Craig! Why do kids have to be so smart?!
I thought I did the same for my nearly 5yo niece, except it was with wrapping paper! I got to wrap her stocking gifts and without thinking used my uber cheap parents hannakuh paper (it was on clearance!) and Madison knew that they had bought hannakuh paper. She spent a week reminding them we didn’t celebrate hannakuh (cuz we didn’t have a “venorah”).
Anyway…Santa used a small piece of hannakuh paper (cuz apparently I’m cheap too and want to use every scrap!) and Madison made the connection! Luckily for us, we too quickly concocted a story that Santa loves everyone and wants to support all holidays! She bought it … This year! Next year her parents can do the wrapping
I also won an icaughtsanta photo! My nieces loved theirs!
You have a clever one on your hands, that’s for sure! Good thinking under pressure C!
Wow! Thank goodness Craig was so quick on his feet! I would never have survived that one. Kate is one smart cookie.
That website is a really cute idea. As long as you don’t mess it up. 
Great plan! Darn kids! Why do they seem out smart our best laid plans? Good cover though.
You know why kids are so good at this, don’t you?
You know those damn games in Highlights magazine where you have to spot all the things that are wrong with the picture? Traditionally, there’s a mitten in a tree or a wrench on the roof of the doghouse, but clearly Kate has moved well beyond such juvenile distractions.
Way to cover your ass.
Wow!!! That little girl is destined to be a detective! What a cool idea!
Ah, what a tangled web of lies is Santa.
And awesome presents, of course.
Oh my gosh–good thing you guys can think on your feet. My 12 yr old still believes, but Grandma and Grandpa almost ruined it for him yesterday morning, when they were discussing the movie that Santa left at their house for him. He was in tears! I had to explain that Grandma thought I bought him the movie, but how could I have snuck it into the house without him seeing? He bought it…
Blame Santa.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by bellebeandog, bellebeandog. bellebeandog said: New blog post!: I Caught Santa, and Nearly Got Caught Myself http://www.bellebeanchicagodog.com/2010/12/is-there-a-santa.html [...]
Good thinking on your feet! I would’ve been stumbling around saying “duh, uh, yeah…”
I love that you live with a future FBI Special Agent.
Oh, your pic turned out so good! LOL @ almost getting caught!
Last year, I brought out the wrapped presents a few days early and took a pic of the tree w/all the presents by them…and then had to use that pic to recreate them just how they were b/c I knew my oldest would call me on it. LOL
She might have a future as a spy!
Merry Christmas!
lol that’s hilarious!! sounds like something my kids would notice! i think this is the last year we’re going to be able to play santa….my oldest has it pretty much figured out!
kids are so smarter than us. that’s why we teach them to be so dumb in school. but what we should be doing is employing these kids in the government. they’d do a much better job. stupid child labor laws.
This is the greatest site ever! I’m going to check it out next year!
That is the coolest idea, BUT man you just can’t pull one over on kids anymore! I love how the picture came out, though…..
This parenting thing sure gets harder each year they get smarter!!
Way to recover, though…
too funny. I can’t believe that you almost got caught.
She is a smart cookie–I’m glad the crisis was averted and good thinking on Craig’s part to come up with something so quickly. I could never!
What a clever idea though
Haha! Your little Kate is amazing! QUITE the FBI agent
Liz, that is too hilarious! Glad that she bought Craig’s quick-thinking cover! We nearly got caught this year when a handle broke on Katherine’s doll carrier and my husband said, “don’t worry, we can take it back to the store and get another one.” Katherine looked puzzled for a moment and then she said, “how can we do that? Santa brought it and it’s too far away to take it back to the North Pole.” I said I would haul out my rusty sewing skills and fix it and that seemed to satisfy her….
That is a great story!! Good recovery daddy! lol!! We had a couple near misses like that… where Abby noticed shoes were different… or the elves were HUGE… that was SO hard not to laugh when she commented on Elves!!
We did recover from those events… however by age 7 my little girl was too smart to believe!! =) This year I had to blow the whistle to my 8 year old b/c a bunch of mom’s are NOT nice and DO NOT teach their kids to BE NICE and NOT talk about the whole Santa thing IN CLASS because SOME kids MIGHT believe!! grrr….. it was horrible breaking his heart! better me at home where he can tear up than in class in front of all his peers who apparently never got to believe… NOT ONE kid in the whole 1/2 split grade class!! *ugh!* we came in 5 minutes late one day and the teacher warned me that the “there is no santa” dialog had been going on… luckily it stopped by the time we arrived… but that night I decided to spill the beans at home… before it happened again the following week in classes! *sigh* =)
That is hilarious! Some kids are too smart for their own good.
Phew, that was a close one! I’m glad she bought it! Awesome picture, though!
LOL!! That is so funny and SOOOO close!!!
What a cute idea and I love that photo! Sure, leave it to your smarty pants 5 year old to notice that. Seriously, she’s good. She must love that picture though, now that’s she’s got an explanation and all!