A Visit to Santa's Workshop......Wait. I Mean the Mall.

Well, tonight was the BIG night.

We went to see SANTA.

At the mall of course.  Where else would children across the country go to visit the man who holds  all of their hopes and dreams of toys and bikes and clothes and stuff? 

Actually, I may have just come up with the idea that is going to make me millions.  Of course, I can't tell you what it is, because you might steal my idea, but I can tell you that it involves a charming cottage, a portly old man with lots of white hair and a white beard, being open from November through Christmas and is very near the mall so as to be easily accessible to all of those holiday shoppers.........

But anyway, for now, we visit Santa at the mall, and that's where we were tonight.

I have to add here that every year, I get a beautiful picture of Elizabeth with Santa.  Even her first Christmas, when she was only 6 months old, she sat on his lap and beamed for the camera.  I also have to add that ever since Alexandra was born, I have yet to get a picture of her with Santa.  Her first Christmas she was still a newborn.......and she's been a bit afraid every year after.

Last year, we waited very patiently in line for Santa to return from his dinner break.  When Alexandra saw him walking towards the Santa "area", she started pointing and yelling very excitedly "There's Santa!  I see him!  There he is!".  But as soon as it was our turn to go talk to him, she broke down crying and refused to go anywhere near him.  As usual, Elizabeth offered to tell him what Alexandra wanted for Christmas since she was obviously not going to do it herself.

This year Elizabeth tried putting her foot down and she said "Alex, I'm not going to tell Santa what you want this year.  You'll need to do it yourself". 

I had a good laugh at that one, I must say. 

Alexandra maintained, right up until the very end this year, that she was NOT going to talk to Santa, or even stand by him.  We said fine.  After all, we don't want to give her a lifelong fear of old men.  But this year she wavered when it was time to go.  I was busy taking pictures when all of a sudden, what to my wondering eyes should appear?  But a daddy and his little girl, drawing near.

Sorry.  I couldn't help it.

But, LOOK!

 Now, she didn't actually talk  to him, or even look directly at him, but hey!  I finally have a picture of Alexandra and Santa!

I also have this one:

I actually have four of these....I took a bunch, just in case, and they all turned out like usual:  exactly what I wanted.

So there you have it boys and girls.  The absolutely true story of our trip to the mall to see Santa and Alexandra's first close contact with him.

Oh, by the way....Elizabeth told him she wanted a Julie American Girl Doll and he assured her that he had plenty of those.  And.....she didn't tell him what Alexandra wanted.  (Take that, little sister!)

Ho ho ho!  Merry Christmas!