We Met Santa

Growing up my sister, Liz, and I always got our photo taken with Santa. Some years I cried, others I was thrilled. Sometimes Santa had real whiskers and other times they were evidently store bought (Mrs. Claus must have made him shave those years, of course.) Santa is a fun part of the holidays even if these guys are just helpers for the real Kris Kringle up at the Pole.

Santa & me - circa 1982

Last year I was daydreaming about what it would be like to take little Cricket to see Santa. Would she love him like I did in '82? This was my first Christmas with the big guy in red. The second one I hear I was not a big fan. My mama, Cricket and I all bundled up and headed to see Santa at the nearest mall where we were told that the Santa was a real winner. I also wanted to stick close to home in case we had a meltdown since we went after work and it was near Cricket's bedtime. Aside from the following, no meltdowns occurred...way to go baby! I was thrilled beyond words to meet Santa. My sweet daughter did not exactly feel the same...

Despite my best efforts to reassure Miss Cricket that Santa was a friend and one cool guy she was not impressed. This, my friends is the look of pure fear. And, so I did what any good mommy would do. After the first photo of "oh-my-gosh-mama-what-am-I-doing-on-this-guy's-lap" look I asked the photographer elf to keep shooting. Because, what happened next was too classic not to capture for all eternity.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo, Rachel