Two days before Christmas, I managed to get my act together to take my kids to see Santa in the mall…. I know! Sheer madness on my part. Could I be any later (said like Chandler)? Every year, I seem to be procrastinating more and more. Not to despair, next year we'll probably get there on the night of Christmas Eve…. maybe sometime before midnight.
So anyways, we scurried around this morning like little mice…. Had some wardrobe discussions with not one but two of the kiddos. I mean, I kind of get the almost six year old but since when did the two year old get that opinionated?! Finally convinced them to wear similar colours then realised that A didn't have dress shoes, only boots and runners. Well she did have some hand me downs from C- but I could only find one way--- only me and only this morning.
We had a nut spilling incident, a toddler telling me "Mommy, give you a chance?" (I guess I say that a lot) and a forgotten Santa's letter but finally off we were! And of course, A pulled off her freshly done pony as soon as we go in the car giving this indescribable hair do-- think baby put hand in socket and then hair combed over kind of look.
So we're at the mall now…. the far one as last year's closer mall had too much red on red on red- You can check it out later. First off to Gymboree where I bought dress shoes for both girls and a couple headbands for their bedraggled heads. VEry important to accessorize, no?! Then to Santa's little house. The plan was to take our pictures and then have lunch- so no messy faces since we already had insane hair. Problem is everyone else in the mall had the same idea and the line was kind of crazy. And my kids were kind of crazy too. Between the slowly moving line, the tussling, the fighting and the fidgeting, at one point I could feel myself literally about to lose my mind a bit.
But then this smile.
And this look softened me a bit….
Only a little bit though :-)
Nearing closer and the anticipation is building. At around this time, A told me she has decided not to sit with Santa. And then there was bribery from her super-mom in the form of a candy cane. Thankfully, her love of sugar trumped her fear of Santa.
And then the big event.
As usual, lots of smiles from C and a very serious gaze from my favourite toddler.
A step up from last year, I think. Though I love crying baby/Santa pics.
And then there was a huge line up again for paying for the pics with more toddler fidgeting.Then lunch in a crowded mall with a stroller, no hand sanitizer, two excited kiddos and one hand for the lunch tray. And then some more sugar of the Cinnabon kind….' cause that's how we roll for Christmas!
Next year, Mom will not be as ambitious but instead will bring Dad along as well! Or at least a flask….. kidding, Grandma!
Merry Christmas Eve, my friends! May you and yours have a wonderful day.
Linking up with Jess for It's The Little Things.
