EP 61 - Are We Ruining Christmas? Telling Our Kids the Truth About Santa

Summary

---

More Than Reality with Adam and Danielle Busby

Episode 61: Are We Ruining Christmas? Telling Our Kids the Truth About Santa
Date: December 4, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this candid episode, Adam and Danielle Busby, known from TLC's "OutDaughtered," dive into a sensitive parental dilemma: when and how to tell their kids the truth about Santa Claus. The couple examines the pressures of holiday traditions like Elf on the Shelf and the evolving nature of "Christmas magic" as their six daughters grow older. Along the way, they share personal anecdotes about holiday chaos, their family’s evolving beliefs, and how faith fits into the heart of the season.

Note: The main discussion about Santa begins at [28:04]. Prior sections include family and holiday updates, which provide context to their current family life and holiday mindset.

---

Family & Holiday Updates

Post-Thanksgiving Catch-Up

• The Busbys debrief their Thanksgiving, mentioning the hectic but enjoyable nature with kids out of school and lots of sleepovers.
• They recently "kitten-sat" for Thanksgiving, leading to hilarious stories about their dogs reacting to the cat ([02:06]–[08:14]).
• Danielle describes the practical realities of pet care and teaching kids responsibility ([05:43], [06:21]).

Adam’s Thoughts on "Cat People"

• Adam:

  "We kind of experienced what it's like to be, like, cat people. Are we cat people? It was kind of fun." ([02:15])

• The kids failed in their campaign to add a permanent cat to the home due to Ava’s cat allergy ([08:26]–[10:04]).

Danielle’s Recent Accidents

• Danielle humorously recounts two separate falls—once with a litter box, once on wet pebbles—highlighting the chaos of life with many kids and tasks ([19:36]–[22:29]).
• Adam:

  "I swear, like, I'm married to, like, an old grandma, you know?" ([19:39])

These updates build the tone of family warmth and chaos that frames their parenting dilemmas.

---

Main Topic: Are We Ruining Christmas? (Discussion begins [28:04])

Setting the Stage

• Adam warns listeners with kids who still believe in Santa/Early Christmas magic to listen privately ([28:16]).
• The Busbys recall the restrictions of reality TV:

  "We could never show, like, the behind the scenes stuff that parents go through for Christmas, because that would ruin the magic of Christmas for kids watching the TV show." — Adam ([28:34])

The "Santa Question" as the Kids Grow Up

• Their 10-year-old quintuplets (and older daughter Blake) are possibly on the cusp of not believing but may be "playing along."
• Adam worries kids might just be putting on an act in hopes of more gifts ([29:14], [29:21]).

Signs the Kids Are Figuring Things Out

• Comments at school and home questioning Santa's existence ([29:23]–[29:37]).
• Adam admits he threw away all their Elf on the Shelf dolls during a house purge, not anticipating the full consequences ([30:25], [33:59], [43:43]).
  • Danielle:

    "I didn't know you threw them away."

  • Adam:

    "I think it's time. They're 10. I think it's time... They're fifth grade. Next year they'll be in middle school." ([30:25])

  • Danielle jokes about the potential trauma:

    "Rude. Who cares if they don't believe anything?" ([43:45])

The Elf on the Shelf Dilemma

• The stress of keeping up with elaborate Elf routines, and the pressure added by other families starting Elf antics earlier and with more effort ([31:04]–[32:39]).
  • Danielle:

    "To the parents who decide to take their elves out the day after Thanksgiving, how about you tell your kids to keep it to themselves... Us are trying our best... Christmas week, you know?" ([31:19])

• Danielle humorously rants about the escalation of Elf expectations:

  "Might as well... they're going to be coming in October at Halloween." ([33:14])

How to Break the News to Kids?

• Adam contemplates the right way to tell the truth, referencing gentle online scripts:

  "The real Santa Claus is, like, it's us. It's within all of us. The magic of Santa is spreading joy... doing things for other people without wanting something in return." ([35:27])

• Danielle sees the Santa tradition as a way to reinforce faith and joy:

  "The magic of Christmas is... that mystery of the unknown, right? You're believing in something you cannot see... but then it is there, right? If I can explain why we are celebrating... it's like transpiring that into what my faith is." ([37:46])

• They agree never to bluntly say "Santa isn't real," but rather to reframe the experience as one of family, giving, and tradition ([36:37], [40:52]).

Adam’s Pragmatic Perspective

• Adam leans toward ending the myth:

  "I don't want my kids to believe in Santa Claus. I want them to just know and not be, like, gullible anymore about that." ([39:17])

• Danielle insists it's about what the kids feel, not Adam's personal stance:

  "Just take your feelings about how you feel about what you think your kids should be feeling, about how they think about Santa Claus." ([44:32])

The Parental Dilemma & The Importance of Framing

• Adam and Danielle discuss back-and-forth feelings — not wanting to rob children of magic, but also not wanting them to be the "only kids in the class still believing" ([41:30]).
• Danielle notes most kids are wise to the truth but want to know why parents maintain the tradition ([41:45]).
• The couple laughs about who will be forced to have "the talk," each trying to punt the responsibility to the other ([42:21]–[43:03]):
  • Danielle:

    "That's the time that you say, go talk to your mom."

  • Adam:

    "Hey, go talk to your mom. Mom's got news for you. Hey, mom knows what happened to your elves."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Keeping the Magic:

  "The magic of Christmas is... believing in something that you cannot see and you don't know is there, but then it is there, right? ...like, what my faith is." — Danielle ([37:46])

• On Parent Peer Pressure:

  "You might as well... they're going to be coming in October at Halloween. Everybody keeps moving Christmas up, so, like, chill." — Danielle and Adam ([33:14])

• On Honesty vs. Disappointment:

  "That's a really good way of doing it, rather than just saying, 'Oh, Santa Claus isn't real. We've been lying to you all these years.'" — Adam ([36:30])

• On the Emotional Tug-of-War:

  "Just take your feelings about how you feel about what you think your kids should be feeling, about how they think about Santa Claus." — Danielle ([44:32])

• On Relinquishing Responsibility:

  "Talk to your mom. Mom's got news for you." — Adam ([42:32]) "That one I will say, 'Go ask your daddy. Your daddy burnt them.'" — Danielle ([42:52])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:46] – Thanksgiving & Family Updates
• [02:06–10:04] – Kitten sitting stories, pets, and teaching kids responsibility
• [19:36–22:29] – Danielle’s clumsy mishaps and family laughs
• [28:04] – Topic Warning: Santa Claus & Preserving Christmas Magic
• [29:14] – Are the kids just playing along?
• [30:25] – The fate of the Elf on the Shelf
• [31:19–33:14] – Elf tradition stress and escalation
• [35:27–36:37] – How to tell kids the truth (gentle scripts)
• [37:46] – Danielle connects "Christmas magic" to faith
• [39:17] – Adam’s blunt stance: kids shouldn’t be gullible
• [41:30] – Parental worry: being the last family with true believer kids
• [44:32] – Danielle: focus on the kids’ feelings

---

Closing Thoughts

Adam and Danielle offer no easy answers but demonstrate the internal and external pressures parents face in sustaining (or ending) childhood fantasy traditions. They encourage parents to transition away from literal belief thoughtfully, infusing the process with warmth, meaning, and a focus on the core values of generosity and faith.

As they wrap up, Danielle offers the wisdom of letting the kids lead the conversation, while Adam reluctantly agrees to leave the "big talk" to her. It's equal parts humorous and heartfelt—a typical slice of Busby family reality.

---

End of Summary

Transcript

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

When it comes to gifting, everyone on your list deserves something special. Luckily, Marshall's buyers travel far and wide, hustling for great deals and amazing gifts so you don't have to. That means your mom gets that cashmere sweater, your best friend that Italian leather bag. Your co workers unwrap their favorite beauty brands, and your nephews the coolest new toys. Go ahead. The price is this good. You can grab something for yourself too. Marshalls, we get the deals. You gift the good stuff. Shop [e-mail] or find a store near you.

[Adam Busby]

Limu Emu and Doug.

[Danielle Busby]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Adam Busby]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Danielle Busby]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Adam Busby]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty, Liberty. Liberty Savings variation written by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Affiliates excludes Massachusetts. All right, for the topic of today's episode. Oh, I. Anybody that's probably listening right now with kids. Maybe kids that still believe in, like, the wonder of Christmas.

Might not want to listen to it with them in the room.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

This is More Than Reality podcast where we dive into all things faith, family, and marriage and share that there is so much more than the reality that you see on the surface. Welcome to More than Reality with Adam and Danielle Busby.

[Adam Busby]

What's up?

[Danielle Busby]

What's up?

[Adam Busby]

We've.

[Danielle Busby]

I feel like this mic is like.

[Adam Busby]

We'Re out of the Thanksgiving season. Kids are out of. Well, kids are back.

[Danielle Busby]

No, they're back in school.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah, they've been out of school, which has been super hectic in the house.

[Danielle Busby]

And yeah, it's also been fun. They've had lots of sleepovers and lots of back and forth here and there.

[Adam Busby]

We babysat a cat over Thanksgiving, so we were like, cat.

[Danielle Busby]

We've kitten sitting.

[Adam Busby]

Kitten sitting.

[Danielle Busby]

Kitten sitting.

[Adam Busby]

So we kind of experience what it's like to be like cat people. Are we cat people? It was kind of fun.

[Danielle Busby]

No, the kids enjoyed it for sure. It was like the highlight of their think Thanksgiving was the cat.

[Adam Busby]

I don't think any of our dogs have ever seen a cat.

[Danielle Busby]

No, for sure.

[Adam Busby]

So it was different. They. They thought we let a squirrel in the house. Bo. And Bo does not like squirrels.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah, yeah. Gus. There's just such different personalities. It's hilarious because, like, Gus just wanted to keep smelling the cat and, like, it was fine. But the second the cat, like, would start moving, Gus Is like, okay, let's play. And then Gus is like, hold up. You don't play. Like, I play, like, this is really weird.

[Adam Busby]

You just kind of, like, slap at me.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. And then Gus, the second the cat would, like, Paul him, he's like, whoa, okay, I ain't in for this. And, you know, and then if claws are sharp. Yeah. Then, yeah, he's a little kitten, you know? I mean, he's, like, the size of, like, our hands.

[Adam Busby]

I was, like, playing with him one day, and, like, he was, like, pauling back and forth, and I was, like, kind of just, like, playing, like, rough housing with it, and. And he, like, caught one of his clothes, one of his claws, like, into my. And it, like, stuck into my stand and got caught.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

And, like, I was, like, pulling away, and it, like, dug in deeper like a dang needle.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. But Bo.

Bo, he is a grumpy old man, and he thinks he runs this house. And the thing is that he is, like, absolutely the laziest dog until, like, he selectively hears a noise. And I say selectively because sometimes there's no noise, and he thinks he hears a noise, and he's, like, on attack mode.

[Adam Busby]

And.

[Danielle Busby]

And then there's times where there is a noise or someone's knocking, and he's like, oh, I'll let Gus get it. You know, I mean, it's just, like, random to him. But with the cat, he. He wanted to eat it for sure. In the beginning. He wanted to. He wanted to.

[Adam Busby]

We had.

[Danielle Busby]

He wanted to eat that squirrel.

[Adam Busby]

We had to put up this, like, kind of, like a baby gate, in a sense, like, in the front gate, like, and. And it was clear, so, like, Bo could, like, see right through it. And he's. He just has, like, his nose up against the glass.

[Danielle Busby]

I love that gate.

[Adam Busby]

And he's just sitting there watching, like, everything the cat does. And he's, like, moving with the cat, just, like, waiting for the cat to get close to him. It was just. And then by the. We had. We had the cat for, like, what, four days, I think. And so, like, the last couple of nights, the cat was getting a little bit more, like, adventurous and, like, kind of, you know, breaking out of places. He'd, like, jump up on top of.

[Danielle Busby]

The couch and get, like, the zoomies at night, like, with, like, the. The dog. The best part was, like, the first night, and I was like, okay, Blake. She's like, okay, can sleep with me. I'm like, whatever. And she came in our room, like, three times. One o', clock, three O'. Clock. And she's like, this cat just wants to play. What am I supposed to do?

[Adam Busby]

And I'm like.

Raising a baby's hard.

[Danielle Busby]

She's like. She's like, I don't want it. I don't want it. And I'm like. And then she won't. She don't want to share it the rest of the time, you know? But.

It was funny just watching her be like, no. And I was like, okay, well, you have to. You have to, like, clean up. This is the part that they don't understand. Like, you have to clean up after the things, you know? You know, like, the. Our dogs, like, will go outside and go to the bathroom, but even if, like, one of them throws up or, like, has an accident or whatever, they don't want to. They don't want to clean up after it or, you know, can you feed the dogs? They're like, can you feed the dogs? I said them yesterday. And I said, okay, well, I'll feed you. I fed you yesterday, so I won't feed you today. They're like, mom, I'm like, well, what.

[Adam Busby]

Do you want me to.

[Danielle Busby]

That's the same with the dogs.

[Adam Busby]

Somebody threw up, and they just keep walking. I'm like, no, no, no. You saw it. Go grab a paper towel and get something to spray it with.

[Danielle Busby]

I'm like, yeah, pick it up.

[Adam Busby]

You're 10 years old. You can clean that, too.

[Danielle Busby]

But he was a cute little kitten, and we had some. Obviously we were, like, taking out Christmas trees. We had a lot of boxes and stuff around, and he would just, like. He would, like, get brave and, like, go up. He would. He would go so close up to Bo, like, bo, get in your bed. And Bo will listen. And we're like, bo, get in your bed. And he'd get in his bed, and that cat would just, like, sneak around the corners. Like, he's, like, being mischievous, and he would come right up next to beautiful, and then Bo would, like, look up, and he would take off. And I was like, okay, there goes the squirrel, you know, and then he'd, like, go in between the boxes and.

[Adam Busby]

I mean, the cooler. The cool thing is just watching, like, an animal's instinct.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

Like, you know, it's a baby kitten, you know, but they have innate instincts to, like.

Like, what are the. What do they do? Not prowl, like, pounce or, like, they. They get in that really prone position and get really small.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

If they want to, like, go after something. And just to watch them do that, it was like. It Was actually super interesting because, like, he's just a little baby kitten. Like, he doesn't know any better, but that's, like, an innate instinct in that cat.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. And even, like, I mean, we've never had to deal with, like, a litter box. Like, how does he even know to go to a litter box?

[Adam Busby]

I think it has something to do with, like, the smell. I think they put something in there or whatever. It's like they're, like, attracted to it.

[Danielle Busby]

I mean, that was kind of. That was.

[Adam Busby]

I'm not a cat person.

[Danielle Busby]

I'm not either. But that was super interesting. Like, even just taking it to our.

[Adam Busby]

House, I just know to go.

[Danielle Busby]

And it's like.

Like he knew where to go. Like, that's so crazy. Like, it takes time to train a dog to go outside, you know?

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

But it was fun. They enjoyed. I'm glad. That actually kept them, like, super entertained and everything. Like, over the whole, like, stay, we.

[Adam Busby]

Were a little concerned because, like, Ava.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. It's been allergic to cats.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah. We noticed years ago that, like, whenever Ava would get around a cat, she would, like, her face would swell up, she got beat up, her eyes would get red. Like, okay, you can't be around cats everything.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

But we've noticed little by little, like, over the last few years, it hasn't been as bad.

[Danielle Busby]

So she could be around them but not touch them and whatnot. So we're like, you know what? It's been getting better, so let's, like, we'll see the cat. And she's like, mom, can I just have medicine?

[Adam Busby]

She wants to hold that cat so bad.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. So the very last night, very. She did very good. And then the very last night, she let it, like, lay on her watching a movie. And then I took it from her, like, when she fell asleep and stuff. And then, yeah, she came. She flared up.

[Adam Busby]

She came and woke us up like, early that morning. The next morning, she's just looking at me and her eyes all bloodshot red and starting to swell up.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

So, like, I went and got her some Benadryl, and then she went back to sleep. But then she was fine. But it was just. I was surprised after, like, four days and it finally.

[Danielle Busby]

But she did. She knows. She knows that she did very good. Not, like, touching it and stuff. She would play with the toys with it and stuff. But she didn't really hold it.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

That was, like, the first time. She had, like, a sweatshirt on and everything and a blanket. She was doing very good not to actually touch it.

[Adam Busby]

Took her four Days. And then she finally, like, broke down. Like, I'm gonna cut.

[Danielle Busby]

It was the last night. She's like, can I just lay with it? I'm like, last night?

[Adam Busby]

It's his last night. I'm gonna fall asleep with it.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

And then she broke out.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. But then. Then they're like, can we get a cat? I'm like, no. This was. This was just for fun. Experiment.

[Adam Busby]

You can go visit that cat anytime. All right, guys, it's the end of the year. It's gifting season. It's. It's kind of the season where you, like, spend money on others, spend money on yourself. What better thing to get the man in your life or yourself? Speaking for myself, Poncho outdoors. Shirts for Christmas. Yeah. Or just the winter time. I mean, I'm wearing right now. This is the corduroy shirt, and it's like. It's like a stretchy corduroy. Look at that. It's got some stretch to it. Super comfortable. And I love Poncho because the fit, like, everything about the fit, and they have different fits. They have a standard fit. They have a slim fit. They have a tall fit. And the different shirts that they have, I mean, here in Texas, you know, we're big on, you know, the denim and the flannel and, like, the. The light, breathable, like, work shirts and stuff. And Poncho has it all. Short sleeve, long sleeve. This is, like, literally my favorite thing to wear this time of year. Right.

[Danielle Busby]

But it's also that their products and, like, their. Their. They go from, like, you can wear it, but you can also work in it. So there are fabrics that are, like, made to, like, they're tough. You can be tough on them. But they're also made to, like, look good in them.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah. And also, like, if you're. If you're an outdoorsman, they have, like, the hunting patterns and stuff and the different camos or the. The orange in the shirts or whatever. So you can wear those hunting or bird hunting or whatever like that.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. So all the shirts, like, have good quality. They feel good. They look good. There's, like, breathable fabrics, quick drying fabrics, lightweight. Poncho's promise is that free exchanges to make sure that you are getting the right gift for whoever you're purchasing for. So they stand by every shirt so that every shirt will fit just right on whoever you're purchasing for. So you purchase it for the man in your life, Your brother, your dad, your boyfriend, your grandpa, just a friend, or yourself, like Adam does. So if it doesn't fit just right. Send it back and they can get the fit just right for them. So they do free shipping, free returns. You can go to ponchooutdoors.com.

[Adam Busby]

We have a landing page on there. It's got all my favorites for first time purchasers. You get $10 off plus free shipping.

[Danielle Busby]

Shipping, yeah. And then make sure if they ask you where you heard this ad from that you make sure to tell them that you heard it from more than reality podcast, because that sure does help us here at the show. So.

[Adam Busby]

So for the man that doesn't ask for much but deserves the best, get on Poncho. So thank you, Poncho. Don't forget, go to Poncho Outdoors. P O N c h o outdoors.com more than to get your offer. Yeah. What was funny? Like, I was putting together, like, a lot of furniture. We finally got some dressers and stuff for our bedroom. So I've been like. I was like. Took me like three days to put all this stuff together.

[Danielle Busby]

It's like kid craft stuff.

[Adam Busby]

Oh, my gosh.

[Danielle Busby]

Remember those days?

[Adam Busby]

I mean, it was like three and a half hours each, like, putting these together. So, like, I'd put one together. I'm like, screw this. I'm not touching anything for a while. And then I'd start on one, like either later that evening or and then finish it the next morning and then do one a little bit later. But it took me like three days to put together these three dressers. Maybe like two and a half days. But I had, like, the empty boxes and the cat would, like, jump in the box. And it was funny watching because, like, Beau knew the cat was like, out and about and around the house. And so, like, he would just wouldn't know where it was.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

And so he would, like, go looking for it or whatever. But the cat learned. Okay, like, how to. How to stay away from Bo.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

And so the cat would, like, jump in the furniture box and it would, like, crouch down so Beau couldn't see him. Whenever Beau would walk by and then he would like, pick his head up and like, reach out and scratch him.

[Danielle Busby]

And Bo's like, where'd that come from? Bo would be dumb in that moment. It was so funny.

[Adam Busby]

So, so funny watching that little kitten, like, reach out and like, paw, paw at bow.

[Danielle Busby]

And then the kids are like, oh, my gosh, mom, that cat, it craw. It jumped. It jumped on the. The tub. Like the tubs of Christmas. They were like, stacked. It jumped on that and on that. Now it jumped across to the the couch. And I'm like, it's a cat, girl. He's gonna fall. And I'm like, it's a cat. They were so it went up the stairs. I'm like, it's a cat. But that's the thing.

[Adam Busby]

Cat always lands on his feet. Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

We weren't worried about the railing, so we did try our best to, like, not. That was, like, if he was upstairs, we made sure, like, he. I was like, I don't want him.

[Adam Busby]

To, like, fall through.

[Danielle Busby]

Fall through the rails.

[Adam Busby]

But cats are pretty agile.

[Danielle Busby]

I mean, that was fall, though. That was. That was far.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

But that was good. Then we went to the mills. Chris Rondell's.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

House for Thanksgiving. So it was just us. It was. It was a pretty chill, quiet.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah. Ashley and Nick and their family went to Louisiana, so it was just like us in the mills.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah. But it was good. I, like, I. I liked just being able to, like. I feel like we've just haven't felt settled even yet.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

I know it's been a couple months that we've been here, but we just.

[Adam Busby]

Didn'T want to have Thanksgiving at our house yet.

[Danielle Busby]

We just didn't. I just didn't want to do anything or go anywhere. I, like, thought about it, but I was like, you know what? We just want to, like, do little.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

But we still wanted to be with, like, people. And Crystal and Dell were staying home, too, so we're like, okay, we'll. We'll either go over there, or they'll come over here. And they're like, no, y' all come here. I'm like, yes, because our house has got Christmas stuff anyway, all over, and it would just be a mess. But it worked out. The kids, you know, all played, and we played our traditional left, right, center, which is always fun. Did a couple games, kid stuff. Adam, of course, cooked a lot of.

[Adam Busby]

This was the first year that I did not cook a turkey for Thanksgiving. I cooked one.

[Danielle Busby]

You did the ham. And that was the best ham I've ever had. And I'm not, like, a super ham person. I always.

[Adam Busby]

A good rancher's ham. So it was.

[Danielle Busby]

Dude, that. That ham was good.

[Adam Busby]

Good ranchers, I mean, by far, is the best ham I've ever had.

[Danielle Busby]

Like, yeah. But even so, that was the best made ham. Whatever he did to it this time.

[Adam Busby]

Didn'T have to do a whole lot to it.

[Danielle Busby]

I know. Because. I know. But it was so good.

[Adam Busby]

But so good. Yeah. It's, like, already spiral cut. I just kind of put the. I put Some.

[Danielle Busby]

You don't do that glaze.

[Adam Busby]

I actually put some Worcestershire sauce. So the w sauce, like, over the outside, just to get the. The seasoning to stick to the outside. And then just put the. The big part of the ham, the open. Open part facing down, and then just, like, sprinkled the seasoning over the top of it. I use, like, meat church.

One of the meat churches. Honey hog. Put that over the top of it and just smoked it till it was ready. Like 2, 225 degrees. But super simple. I mean, honestly, that's about how I do the turkey. Other than, like, getting, like, my fingers, like, under the skin, and, like, I cram it full of butter and stuff like that so it gets, like, it stays really juicy and stuff. But I let Dale do it this time around.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah, he did. He did.

[Adam Busby]

Okay. Like, it was this. You could tell it was this first time on a smoker.

[Danielle Busby]

Okay. So we usually do the air.

[Adam Busby]

He didn't quite have, like, the timing down. I've done it enough to where, like, I kind of.

[Danielle Busby]

It's still good.

[Adam Busby]

I gave myself enough flavor in there. Oh. I mean, it still is. The turkey was awesome. It tasted great. Yeah, it was just. It was like. The timing was a little off, like, whenever we got there. He said, yeah, I'm putting this in. So it'd be ready at one o'. Clock. Y' all be here. And we had to wait, like, another hour and a half or so to get the turkey to finish. But.

[Danielle Busby]

But we usually do the oiless fryer.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah, I didn't do that this year.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah, but that's okay.

[Adam Busby]

That's a. That's a cheat code right there. An oilless fryer, like char. Char broil makes them. And there's a few other companies out now, but all it is is that you hook a propane tank up to it, and it's like infrared. Like, infrared heat to where it just. Like it's like a cylinder, and you put the turkey in a basket and then just, like, lower it down in there, and it's just like radiant heat all the way around the turkey, and it tastes identical to frying a turkey. Yeah, but without all the oil. Yeah, all the seed oils and stuff like that. And so, like, you cannot. I'm telling you, you cannot taste the difference between It's a delicious. An oilless fryer and an oil fryer. And it's so good. But I usually do one of those every year. I have, like, two of those. Two to.

[Danielle Busby]

Can we talk about how clumsy I've been? I just spilled water.

[Adam Busby]

Danielle has fallen. She's. I swear, like, I'm married to, like, an old grandma, you know?

[Danielle Busby]

Cassie just text me yesterday, and she said, Falling in your 40s is. 40s is very hard. And I'm like, you just turned 40, like, last week. I'm about to be 42, I think, like, yeah, it is. So I fell down the stairs.

[Adam Busby]

She slipped and fell down the stairs, landed straight on her tailbone.

[Danielle Busby]

No, not on my tailbone. On my delicious booty in my back. I, like, fell. I was actually holding something, and I was actually holding the box. The box. The litter box.

[Adam Busby]

I was like, please thank God. Spill that everywhere.

[Danielle Busby]

No, God, thank. Thankfully it was in a box, and I was holding it like this, and I didn't have socks on. Nothing. I just, like, slipped, and I just fell back. So my back and my butt hit, like, I.

It still hurts to sit, but it's my back on this side and my butt on that side.

[Adam Busby]

And then yesterday.

[Danielle Busby]

And then yesterday, you were going. I went to an appointment, and it was raining. Had my umbrella, and I had, like.

One of those shoes. Whatever.

[Adam Busby]

Nike dunks.

[Danielle Busby]

Dunks. And so the soles, they're like flats. There's no, like, real grip on the bottom. And I got out the car, and, well, when I'm coming back from the car, I was like, oh, I'll go this way.

And walk on the pathway. And the pathway is not the way that I went. When I went to the door, I went around, and I was like, oh, I'll go that way. And it's like those tiny little pebble pebbles that are all together but, like.

Not loose.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

Like, cemented or whatever. Glazed together. And I just took one step, and whoever saw me in those windows, it's okay if you laugh, because I would have laughed, too. So it's okay that you laughed if you saw me. I want to laugh, too, but I just busted.

[Adam Busby]

All over the place.

[Danielle Busby]

My. Probably the newest pair of jeans that I've bought. Ripped the jeans, ripped my knee up, bleeding. And I was. Just Got in the car, and I'm just like, how do you. How does one person mess their self up this many times within, like, two days?

[Adam Busby]

You're almost 42. I'll have to get you, like, a walker.

[Danielle Busby]

And wait. Adam's response was. Was it your bad knee?

[Adam Busby]

Please don't be the bad knee.

[Danielle Busby]

Well, you kind of wish it was, because I'm like, I don't want to hurt the other good one.

But it wasn't.

[Adam Busby]

This lady's falling Apart.

[Danielle Busby]

I know.

Yep.

[Adam Busby]

Say a prayer for Danielle.

She's falling apart. Yep.

[Danielle Busby]

I guess I just need to.

Just. I don't know.

I actually don't know.

[Adam Busby]

I just need to put you out to pasture.

[Danielle Busby]

I had the weirdest dream last night. Do you want to hear it?

[Adam Busby]

Does it have it to do with falling?

[Danielle Busby]

No, it has to do with Pops and Katie.

[Adam Busby]

Okay.

[Danielle Busby]

It's short, though. Well, the part that I remember.

[Adam Busby]

So Pops is Danielle's grandfather.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

Katie is Danielle's Louisiana best friend.

[Danielle Busby]

What I remember it was, you know, like, when you're having a dream and it feels so real in the moment, and you're like, this is so. This is so wild. How can this be happening? And then you wake up and you're like, that was so real. Well, I just remember, like, it was Brian's birthday, and I was with Katie and Brian, celebrating their birth, his birthday. And it got late. Well, that's all I remember. There was a birthday party at some place, and I don't know why, but I ended up going back to.

Clearly. We were, you know, in college or whatever. And I go back to Pops, his house, and I'm like, in the living room, and I hear his alarm go off at midnight. And he gets up, and I'm like, what are you doing? He's like, oh, hey, Danny. That's what he called me. And I'm like, what are you doing? He's like, it's Brian's birthday. I'm going to Brian's birthday.

[Adam Busby]

You don't even know Brian.

[Danielle Busby]

And I'm like. I'm like, it's midnight. Yeah, I'm going. This is when the party starts. And I'm like, well, I'm not letting you go by yourself. And he's like, no, it's okay. You. You. You go to sleep. I'm. I got this. And I'm like, no, I'm not gonna let you go by yourself driving this late at night. Like, here I am being the parent, you know? And I just remember.

Being like, katie, why did y' all invite Pops to Brian's birthday party? And apparently Katie's like, oh, yeah, we invited him to go. It was just the weirdest thing. And, like, he shows up. I dropped. I dropped him off.

And, like, they're all, pops, hey. And that's when I woke up, and it was really weird. And then I left.

It was so weird. Is that not weird, a weird dream?

[Adam Busby]

It is weird, but those are. Those dreams are kind of cool.

[Danielle Busby]

Like, when it felt so real.

[Adam Busby]

It feels real. And you Kind of get like a.

[Danielle Busby]

You know, it brought me back to like, like the days, like high school, college days. Yeah. But it was just weird mixing all that together because Katie didn't really know pops at all.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

You know, especially Brian.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

And so it was just really weird. And it's not even Brian's birthday. It's my birthday right now, my birthday month. It is the month of December already and it's my birthday month, so yay. But it also means it's Christmas. It's a month of lots of go, go, go where everybody's out and about doing lots of Christmas shopping, lots of like holiday parties and celebrations. And I know that after all the go, go, go, I look forward to the most of just like getting home and just like wrapping up like all the busyness with just being comfortable cozying up at home. Right. I mean, I know last night like we got home and it was like, hey, it's cold outside finally here in Texas. And like I know I was so excited to just like jump in the bed, watch a movie with cozy air. She our comfortable cuddle blanket. Why do we love Cozy Earth so much? Because of the quality. It is so much better than a lot of the other things because of the viscose that is made from the bamboo. And I'm telling you, it's breathable, it's soft, it's cooling, but it's also just so incredibly comfortable. And if you've used Cozy Earth, you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't, guess what, There's a hundred day trial sleep guarantee. So now is a good time to try it.

[Adam Busby]

And also a 10 year warranty.

[Danielle Busby]

And a 10 year warranty. So you can go to cozyearth.com, use code more than and get 40 off now until December 12th. Okay, so that is 40 off cozyearth.com with code more than. And if you were listening to this after December 12th, guess what? Our code still works. But you just get 20% off, which hey, that's still a great deal. You still get 100 night sleep trial and a 10 year warranty and that goes across all their products.

[Adam Busby]

But if you want the big big discount, now's get it early. Get your gifts gift Cozy Earth. Buy it for yourself, buy it for your spouse.

[Danielle Busby]

Don't forget, shop cozyearth.com and give the gift of comfort that lasts a beyond the holidays and carries into cozy new year.

[Adam Busby]

Thanks Cozy Earth. All right, for the topic of today's episode. Oh I anybody that's probably listening right now with kids.

Maybe kids that still believe in, like, the wonder of Christmas.

You might not want to listen to it with them in the room.

So that's like, fair warning, just in case.

Because this is what we did for tv. We always. Because we knew that our television show was a family TV show where, you know, parents and kids would sit down and watch. So we could never show, like, the kind of the behind the scenes, like, stuff that parents go through for Christmas because that would ruin the magic of Christmas for kids that are watching the TV show. So we always had to paint the picture of Christmas as if, you know, through the eyes of the children. Fair warning, you know, we're coming to the time where, like, our kids are 10 years old and they.

From what we know, they could just be playing along because they think that they're gonna get more presents or whatever if they still believe.

[Danielle Busby]

They've said stuff since last year.

[Adam Busby]

Because they say. They say stuff like every now and then that makes you wonder. Like, I don't.

[Danielle Busby]

Well, they'll say things even from school, like such and such, or there's no Santa or they'll say things like that.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah. You know, but, you know, it's. Obviously, it came up now where they. They still. You know, we still do. Or in years past, we've done the whole, like, elf on the shelf stuff. And, like. And even Blake last year got involved with the elf on the shelf stuff. Or the last couple years, Blake would.

[Danielle Busby]

Help us because she would do it.

[Adam Busby]

Because Blake likes to do it because.

[Danielle Busby]

We were those total parents on all those videos. You see, that's like, oh, my God, 3:00am we forgot.

[Adam Busby]

So we, like, push it off on Blake. Like, okay, like, you're excited about this. Like, you want to do this. Like, okay, this is Blake's thing now. Like, Blake kind of takes over, like, the elf stuff. And. But, like, whenever we were moving, I threw away all the elves.

[Danielle Busby]

I didn't know you threw them away.

[Adam Busby]

And they're like, that's where they hid. It's like, in my closet. And so, like, I tossed them whenever I was just purging stuff. And I'm like, they're 10. I think it's time. They're fifth grade. Next year they'll be in middle school. Like, I think 10 years old as old enough to, like, it's not about, like, what's. What's that age.

[Danielle Busby]

It's not about the age. It's a. It's not a. It. It's. To me, it's not even about, like, them even understand the Elves, like, deep down inside.

[Adam Busby]

I. Because it's. I think they don't. They don't truly believe. I think that they just are kind of playing along.

[Danielle Busby]

But so here's what I. I want to back. We're gonna back it up. Back it up a little bit. I just want to say to the parents.

[Adam Busby]

They go all out with it.

[Danielle Busby]

No, no, no, no. I'm being. I'm being nice. I want to say to the parents who decide to take their elves out the day after Thanksgiving, how about you tell your kids to keep it to themselves and not tell their friends to go home and tell their parents that their elves came out? Because us parents don't want our elves to come out the day after Christmas. Us are trying our best we can to do the 12 Days of Christmas with an elf, because that's even hard. We might even want to do Christmas week, you know, so they are coming home. Such and such elf came out. It ain't even December. I don't want to read the elf book. Why, Mom? It's in Blake's room. Well, we got a lot of things we gotta do tonight.

[Adam Busby]

Just gotta just change the subject.

[Danielle Busby]

But, mom, can. We'll do it real quick. And I'm like. I'm like, no, no, we don't want to read the elf book because those moms.

[Adam Busby]

Such and such, their. Their elves came, like a whole week.

[Danielle Busby]

Well, that's not my elf. Our elves have a lot of work to prep. And then Adam's during this. She's like, I don't know if you want them elves to come and watch you.

[Adam Busby]

Those elves are tattletails. They're just tattletails for Santa. Why would y' all even want them in the house?

[Danielle Busby]

So that is my dilemma.

[Adam Busby]

When I was little, I knew I wouldn't want an elf in the house.

[Danielle Busby]

So that's my dilemma is that I don't want the other kids to tell my kids that their elves came in the month of November. Because. No, I. I don't care and I don't mind. I just want you to make sure that you tell your kids that elves come all at different times so that my kids don't expect that their elves need to come a month in advance, because. No. Yeah, might as well. Next thing you know, they're going to be coming in October at Halloween.

[Adam Busby]

Everybody keeps moving Christmas up, so, like, chill.

[Danielle Busby]

Chill.

[Adam Busby]

But.

[Danielle Busby]

And I don't got five elves either, so don't tell kids that they each need an elf.

[Adam Busby]

So obviously, I. Knowing that our elves are no more. And the last couple nights, the kids have been asking about, can we read the elf book? Can we read the elf book? And you can read the elf book all you want, because those elves ain't coming because they're gone.

[Danielle Busby]

I don't.

[Adam Busby]

Told me target and go buy some more.

[Danielle Busby]

He said, we don't have the elves. And I was like, what do you mean? He's like, I threw them away. And I'm like, what? He's like, so we don't. They ain't coming. I'm like, oh, my gosh. I thought he was just, like, playing along, like, they ain't come. Like, we ain't doing this.

[Adam Busby]

I really threw him away.

[Danielle Busby]

And he's like, no, I threw them away. And I was like, whoa, okay. I don't know for that. I don't want to be that mean. And he's like, well, then you better go get another one. Like, we're just going to be like, rose and Rose and Daisy just died super clean. Oh, my gosh. I just. I saw the one. I saw a real today where the girl touched it and her mom wrote it. She put, like, an elf hat and chicken bones, like, mini chicken wing bones. And it said a note because she touched it, and the girl, like, lost and she's crying and she's dead. Like, the elves dead. Gosh, that's something you totally do. But, yeah, that. It's just like, we can't keep up with that.

[Adam Busby]

Like, also, like, our elf had, like, a outfit, and, like, one of the elves had glasses on, like, hazel. And so, like, they know that. And so I don't even know if you can even find that now. Like, do they sell the outfits and stuff? I. I haven't even looked for elf.

[Danielle Busby]

Stuff, but there's all kind of stuff now.

[Adam Busby]

I mean, I really don't want to do this this year. And so, like, how do you break it to your kids? Just like, okay, like, look, this is not what Christmas is about. Like, I've seen, like, the posts and stuff and, like, how.

You know, some parents are, like, breaking it to their kids saying, like, look, you know, the real Santa Claus is, like, it's us. It's within all of us. And, you know, the magic of Santa is just, like, spreading joy to other people and giving. Giving things and doing things for other people without wanting something in return. And, you know, that's what makes. That's why, like, know, we. We continued Santa all these years because, like, we wanted, you know, we wanted to give you these gifts without you thinking they came from Us and it just, like, knowing and without asking for, like, reciprocation and stuff like that. This is, like, this is something that we knew that would bring you joy. And. And so, you know, it was Santa Claus. And, you know, this is something, you know, we. We give gifts to other people without expecting anything in return. This is just to spread joy and cheer and stuff for people in the holiday time. And, you know, I think if you frame it in that way, like, that's a. That's a really good way of doing it, rather than just saying, oh, Santa Claus isn't real. We've been lying to you all these years.

[Danielle Busby]

Well, I wouldn't.

[Adam Busby]

Neither is the Easter Bunny, which our kids know the Easter Bunny is not real. They've known that for years because especially the way that we did it on the TV show. And, like, they would see us, like, dress up in the Easter Bunny costume. And.

You know, and every year's, like, Riley's, like, I can see that guy's shirt between the.

[Danielle Busby]

The back of the Easter Bunny's costume's not buttoned.

[Adam Busby]

So it's like, clearly that's a person in there. So, like, for years they've known there's no Easter Bunny. So, like, I think it's just keeping. This is like, the same thing. This is. There was no Easter Bunny. There was never an Easter Bunny. But there's also.

[Danielle Busby]

To me, it's just like, keeping that.

That joy of, like, what Christmas brings. Like, what Christmas morning brings to. To kids is that morning of joy. And it's like the magic of Christmas, right, is the. It's like that mystery of the unknown, right? You're believing in something that you cannot see and you don't know is there, but then it is there, right?

[Adam Busby]

Yeah.

[Danielle Busby]

And so it's kind of like, you know, if I can take that and explain why we are celebrating this on the day of Christmas and this birth of Jesus, it's like transpiring that into, like, what my faith is. You know, I believe in something that I can't physically see. Jesus is a real person. Was a real person died on the cross for me. But, like, believing in a fit, having a faith and believing in something. So that brings joy and life into. Into me and to be able to share that with the kids and just not just saying, like, this was just a tradition and we just do it because people do it or that's fake. It's not. Whatever. I would never tell our kids that that way. Like, you know, but the whole elf thing is like another. It's Just a. It's just another.

[Adam Busby]

Like, I never had an elf whenever I was a kid. Like, when did that start?

[Danielle Busby]

I mean, when Blake was, what, 10 years ago? No, probably 15 years ago. When Blake was little. Right before Blake was little. But, yeah, I mean, it's. It's. It's a great, cute idea and stuff, but I think things are just getting out of. Out of hand.

[Adam Busby]

And the thing is, like.

Like, my kids are 10 years old.

I mean, just a few months from being 11. I don't. I don't want my kids to believe in Santa Claus. Like, I want them just to know and not be, like, gullible anymore about that.

[Danielle Busby]

Well, I don't. I think that they.

[Adam Busby]

So I don't think.

[Danielle Busby]

I don't think it's.

[Adam Busby]

Some parents are probably listening to this and, like, you a hole.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah, because I agree with that, too, because I told you that, like, I.

[Adam Busby]

Kind of, like, waver on both of it because, yeah, there's, like, magic and wonder and stuff of Christmas. But, like, I think framing it in the way that I framed it a while ago was, like, it still. It still gives, like, that magic and wonder, but it, like, brings it more, like, inwardly about, you know, doing things for other people and, like, spreading joy to other people without expecting anything in return. And, like, you know, all those things.

[Danielle Busby]

Exactly.

[Adam Busby]

Without just having a fictitious person that you're lying to your kids about.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

You know, and I don't know, like, I go back and forth.

[Danielle Busby]

It's not a fictitious.

[Adam Busby]

I mean, yeah, whenever I was little, yeah, I believed in Santa Claus, and, like, it was, like, super magical and stuff like that. And then, like, I don't even remember when I stopped believing, But I don't know.

[Danielle Busby]

Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas, which was the story of a man who. This is what he did. He gave gifts to people. So that's. That is what the story of it was. I don't know. I can't recall, like, the whole, like, basis around St. Nicholas, but.

So it's the whole Santa Claus. That character is a character. Yes, but I don't want to. I don't want to go. I would agree with the parents saying, like, you're an a hole. Saying, like, Santa Claus isn't real. Like, I would agree with that. Like, there's a way to tell kids to not let them lose the joy and the. The. To make it say, like, oh, you're lying to me. Yeah, like, there's a story to keep the belief and the joy of Christmas because, like, my whole life we still wrote Santa Claus because it's the fact of, like, I'm giving you something that you don't know what it is. It's a. It's just a gift of. A gift of whatever, you know?

[Adam Busby]

But also, like, never want to get to the point where, like, your kids are the only kids in the class still believe, and all the other kids are looking at your kids like, but our kid.

[Danielle Busby]

But even to this day, I don't think our kids. I don't think that they honestly believe Santa's real anymore.

[Adam Busby]

But what they're trying to think that they're just.

[Danielle Busby]

What they're trying to understand is, is why do my mom and daddy say that? Yeah, that's what they're trying to.

[Adam Busby]

It's like they're. They're, like, super facetious. Facetious about it? Yeah. Like, you know, like, asking provocative questions to see what we'll say, like, oh, you're gonna still keep lying to us about this.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

And that. So that's why, like, one reason why I'm, like. I keep going back and forth on it, like, y' all are old enough to, like, okay, well, you can't. Here's the deal.

[Danielle Busby]

But I don't want you to say it like that.

[Adam Busby]

That's the problem is, like, how do.

[Danielle Busby]

You say it all blunt and rude like that?

[Adam Busby]

I probably will, because I'll probably flub it and end up saying it.

[Danielle Busby]

Okay, then that's the time that you say, go talk to your mom.

[Adam Busby]

Talk to your mom.

No comment. I don't want to. Hey, go talk to your mom. Mom's got.

[Danielle Busby]

They're probably gonna ask me anyway.

[Adam Busby]

Mom's got news for you. Hey, mom knows what happened to your elves.

[Danielle Busby]

That one I will say, go to ask your daddy.

Your daddy burnt them.

[Adam Busby]

So that's. That's, like, my dilemma that I've been, like, pondering on over the last, like, week or so. I was like, okay, like, is this a year? Is this a year we just kind of, like, come clean? And, like, I don't like how you're.

[Danielle Busby]

Having to put a time limit on this.

[Adam Busby]

But. But the first. The first domino in this whole thing is these freaking elves.

[Danielle Busby]

Yeah.

[Adam Busby]

I've thrown away.

So I've kind of. I kind of, like. I kind of forced my hand a little bit. Barring me having to go down and spend money on buying that.

[Danielle Busby]

You were going to tell your kids that Santa and the elves aren't real this year.

[Adam Busby]

Yeah, I was, like, going through stuff. I'm, like, rude. They're 10. I just threw them in.

[Danielle Busby]

Rude.

[Adam Busby]

Threw them in the trash.

[Danielle Busby]

Rude. Who cares if they don't believe anything?

[Adam Busby]

I guess I shouldn't have made a un. I shouldn't have made a unique lateral decision. But at that moment. But it's just like one of those moments where we're like purging stuff, throwing stuff away in the house, and I just get to those elves and I was already agitated. Just threw them in the bag.

[Danielle Busby]

How would you feel if I was in your closet and got annoyed with all your stuff? Just threw it away.

Anyway, we might start fighting, so we better call this podcast over.

[Adam Busby]

But I just. I. I really don't. I don't know. I, like, I don't know.

[Danielle Busby]

You need to take you out of it and think of the kids.

[Adam Busby]

Okay, I take myself out of it. You figure it out.

[Danielle Busby]

Just take your feelings about how you feel about what you think your kids should be feeling, about how they think about Santa Claus.

[Adam Busby]

Maybe you're right.

[Danielle Busby]

Like, stop thinking about what you want them to feel. It's how they feel.

[Adam Busby]

So next time they ask, like, hey, what do you think? Yeah, okay. I'm asking that. Whenever they get home.

[Danielle Busby]

No, you don't start the conversation.

[Adam Busby]

You.

[Danielle Busby]

You wait for them to say something and then when they say something.

[Adam Busby]

Do you really believe in these?

[Danielle Busby]

No, you don't. Oh, my gosh, guys.

Speaking of kids, I gotta get them from school, so. Adam, keep your mouth shut. Thanks for listening, guys. Love you.

[Adam Busby]

This is episode 61.

[Danielle Busby]

Come home tomorrow with six elves.

[Adam Busby]

I don't know what happened. They, like mass reproduced over the year.

[Danielle Busby]

Peace out.

[Adam Busby]

All right, this is more the reality podcast, episode 61. Thank you guys for tuning in and say a prayer for us. All right, we love you guys.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

Ordinary checking, just a place to park your money. Our checking, a $300 head start. As a member of Oregon State Credit Union, you'll feel the benefits from day one. Open a new checking account, set up direct deposit. And we'll add 300 bucks to get you going. Oregon State Credit Union. Human to human banking. Insured by NCUA equal housing lender. $25 minimum balance required. Subject to change terms and conditions.

Another day, another major event tariff. And a new random zit. Strange times like these can lead to extra stress, which can lead to unpredictable breakouts. The good news is that Mighty Patch original shrinks the look of pimples in just one use. That's a pretty good deal for your skin and your wallet. Shop Mighty Patch at all major retailers.