Impostor Jesus
It appears we have an impostor.
My favorite thing about the Christmas season is the nativities. We have six different sets and I adore them all. This being Pixie's first Christmas as a rational human being, she was curious about the little Jewish family groups colonizing our shelves. I explained the birth of Jesus, the angel, the shepherds, and the sheer excellence of the whole story. She accepted my explanation and went about examining them all. She was particularly fond of the baby Jesus in each set. Until she came to the final nativity. “Baby Rex.” She pronounced, and removed the baby and his manger from the set. “No honey, that’s Jesus,” I corrected her and showed her how to arrange the baby so that he received the maximum amount of praise from the other figurines. “No. Baby Rex,” she insisted and removed him again.
I took her to each of the other nativities and had her correctly identify baby Jesus in each one. Then we came back to the aforementioned nativity and I asked who her the baby was. “Baby Rex,” was her persistent answer.
I’ve been keeping an eye on this nativity ever since and have noticed that poor baby Rex is not allowed to linger in his place of honor for long. As soon as I replace him, she waits until my back is turned and hides him somewhere new. This last hiding spot she’s picked is a good one and poor Baby Rex will probably spend the rest of his Christmas stuffed in the sock drawer, or broom closet or whatever clever place she’s stashed him. Anywhere but his manger. She'll see to that.
Today I asked her again about the situation.
“Pixie, can you please tell me where Baby Rex is?”
“He’s hiding.”
“Can you help me find him?”
“No. Not yet.”
Not yet? I’m afraid Baby Rex will start appearing in bizarre places around the house to creep me out. Should I start checking under my pillow before bed? Will he be floating in the toilet and scare me witless in the middle of the night?
There’s a chance that she’s right about the whole thing. They say kids and farm animals have a sense for evil presences. Did some conniving factory worker replace the real baby Jesus with this fraudulent look-alike? And if so, where did the real baby Jesus end up? I shudder to consider the possibilities.
So this Christmas I have six nativities and only five baby Jesus’s. Maybe it’s better this way.
Here are the six nativities. "One of these things is not like the other..."
My favorite thing about the Christmas season is the nativities. We have six different sets and I adore them all. This being Pixie's first Christmas as a rational human being, she was curious about the little Jewish family groups colonizing our shelves. I explained the birth of Jesus, the angel, the shepherds, and the sheer excellence of the whole story. She accepted my explanation and went about examining them all. She was particularly fond of the baby Jesus in each set. Until she came to the final nativity. “Baby Rex.” She pronounced, and removed the baby and his manger from the set. “No honey, that’s Jesus,” I corrected her and showed her how to arrange the baby so that he received the maximum amount of praise from the other figurines. “No. Baby Rex,” she insisted and removed him again.I took her to each of the other nativities and had her correctly identify baby Jesus in each one. Then we came back to the aforementioned nativity and I asked who her the baby was. “Baby Rex,” was her persistent answer.
I’ve been keeping an eye on this nativity ever since and have noticed that poor baby Rex is not allowed to linger in his place of honor for long. As soon as I replace him, she waits until my back is turned and hides him somewhere new. This last hiding spot she’s picked is a good one and poor Baby Rex will probably spend the rest of his Christmas stuffed in the sock drawer, or broom closet or whatever clever place she’s stashed him. Anywhere but his manger. She'll see to that.
Today I asked her again about the situation.
“Pixie, can you please tell me where Baby Rex is?”
“He’s hiding.”
“Can you help me find him?”
“No. Not yet.”
Not yet? I’m afraid Baby Rex will start appearing in bizarre places around the house to creep me out. Should I start checking under my pillow before bed? Will he be floating in the toilet and scare me witless in the middle of the night?
There’s a chance that she’s right about the whole thing. They say kids and farm animals have a sense for evil presences. Did some conniving factory worker replace the real baby Jesus with this fraudulent look-alike? And if so, where did the real baby Jesus end up? I shudder to consider the possibilities.
So this Christmas I have six nativities and only five baby Jesus’s. Maybe it’s better this way.
Here are the six nativities. "One of these things is not like the other..."
Comments
About your costco question - yeah they have a few costcos here. We aren't a member though, and they are kind of far away, and a bit overpriced, so we're doing without. But they do have tons of American products. No fresh burritos though, which is all that would matter.
So she absconded with folk art Baby Jesus, huh? Also, is that a LION in that Nativity? A lion? really?
When you think about it, did Jesus need to learn anything? Didn't he know it all already?
Oh, Biblical humor! Zing.
Dad
I'm enthralled... what does she say when you ask her about it? Actually, maybe she's following the tradition of not putting Him out until Christmas day?
Also, I am jealous of how many sets you own...they are all lovely.