Santa Baby, Just Don’t Slip Under the Tree
You better watch out, you better not cry. You better not pout, I’m telling you why – because there’s still plenty of time do this on Christmas Day.
There has been years of speculation regarding how Santa Claus enters the home. We all know the fireplace trick, but what about the houses without fireplaces? Does he create his own fireplace? Can he emerge through walls? Does he simply enter through the front door?
If he does enter through the front door in the wee hours of the night, I wish I knew his quiet technique when I was a teenager.
Another head scratching question my niece asked me a couple months ago is if Santa ever has to use the toilet during his visits. I can honestly say this is something I have never thought of before. I mean, with the amount of milk and cookies (and CocaCola in our family) he consumes, of course he would need to make pit stops here and there. Perhaps he stores a bottle on the sleigh.
Whatever the case may be, I better ensure the bathroom is clean before Christmas too. The holiday to do list just keeps growing; with no time to check it twice.
However, we can speculate until Michael Buble comes home for Christmas, but if the movie, The Santa Clause taught us anything it’s that believing in something means that you just believe in it and to always have a high quality fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
In Guided Out The Door, I slipped out the door. Today, I slipped out the chair.
I recently realized that recreation therapy helps with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
As recreation therapists we analyze the past events that lead up to the current situation. We define the present strengths and barriers and we create goals for the future. (And we often do something special for Christmas).
This also relates to teaching therapeutic recreation students. We take into account their past experiences, work with where they’re currently at and set them up for a successful future career.
Not to mention, we obviously instill fear into the students just like the ghosts do to Scrooge.
A few months ago it was my students’ last week of their internship and I wanted to review textbook-type material because what is more fun than textbook material on your last week of an internship? Everything.
We were practicing documentation for categories such as: risk management, unusual occurrences… you still with me? Luckily, we didn’t have much hands on experience with these throughout their internship but also unluckily since these are important to know.
As we were working our way through the information, I decided to incorporate charades because something needed to make this information more enjoyable. As an example, I positioned myself on my office chair to demonstrate a resident sliding from a wheelchair.
It looked very similar to how I position myself on the sofa after Christmas dinner.
As I was maneuvering in my chair, I began to actually slip and slide forward much farther than intended.
I quickly planted both feet on the ground and placed my hands on the edge of the desk to protect my face last minute.
Without my quick thinking, I would have been singing all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.
I let out a squeal followed by a giggle as my heart rum pa pum pum’d in my chest.
The look on the students’ face I hope I never forget. It was a mixture of complete terror, amusement and zero sense of urgency.
I concluded my teachings with, “and that is what could happen if a resident is seated like that.”
