Reindeer Guts

 

I don't even remember how it started....but if you knew my dad, this won't surprise you!  When my kids were little, Dad started this thing of trying to get my kids to say, "Reindeer Guts!"  He had them convinced that if they said it, Santa wouldn't bring them anything for Christmas.  He'd work and work at it.  He'd ask them leading questions to try and get them to say it.  He was a patient man, so he'd begin weeks before Christmas and just wait for them to get caught saying "Reindeer Guts."  Of course, my two brothers pitched in and helped him!  And then he'd tease them unmercifully if they slipped and said it--saying they were getting nothing from Santa!  Usually, there would be tears because one of my kids would inadvertently say it and be scared to death that Santa wouldn't come see them.  And dad would laugh and laugh.  Of course, it only took a couple of Christmases for my kids to figure out that Santa came regardless if they said "Reindeer Guts" or not.  It became a game to see who would say it first---them or Papa.  Then my kids became the antagonists and tried to get those younger than them to say it.   And...the game continued when my sister had kids...and then when my kids had kids.  Reindeer Guts lives on.