Mr. C

On Saturday, we finally conceded to Aidan's fervent desire to visit Santa Claus. Seriously, ever since we got back home after Thanksgiving, he has asked daily to go see Santa. Saturday morning, as we're eating our pancakes, John and I calmly inform Aidan that we will be taking him to sit on Santa's lap today. He talked about it all day long...nonstop. "I want to see Santa. I want to see Santa. I want to see Santa!" Finally, afternoon naps were over, and it was time to load up in the car and go see Santa.

At our lovely outdoor mall, there are two Santas. One is in the Bass Pro Shop, and the other I knew nothing about, other than that he was there. We tried to see non-Bass Pro Santa first. I'm sorry. I just didn't want my daughter's first time to be with redneck Santa. It's just too Louisiana. As it turns out, non-Bass Pro Santa is mobile home Santa. Ironic, isn't it? The whole thing is set up where you have to walk through one of the homes and talk to a salesperson before you get to see Santa, so we did not go see this Santa. I kind of snuck in without the saleswoman seeing me to figure out what the deal was and scurried away when I realized it was a trap!

We headed off to see Bass Pro Santa after all. When we got there, at the opposite end of the mall, of course, Santa Claus and his elves were leaving for their dinner break. We told Aidan that we'd go eat dinner and come back when Santa returned. We ate at IHOP, and it was our most miserable dining experience to date. Neely decided she needed to eat too, so I had my first-ever public nursing experience. Not public like those women who will raise their shirt anywhere, no matter who is looking. Public as in safely hidden under a thick, fleece blanket, but people give you dirty looks nonetheless. While this is happening, Aidan is throwing fits, because he doesn't want to sit by John, he doesn't want to eat his food, he wants to wallow under the table, etc. Finally, the nightmare ended, and we went back to see Santa Claus.

We waited in a long-ish line to see Santa Claus, and I thought John was going to put an elbow into the child behind us. The kid was everywhere. I believe the straw that nearly broke the camel's back was when he started trying to push Neely's stroller in the opposite direction from where John wanted to go. I don't think his mother ever reprimanded him. John got out of line with the stroller and left me with the two kids at this point...I think to avoid doing/saying anything he'd regret.

At last, it was our turn!...and Aidan wouldn't budge. His earlier taunts of "I want to see Santa!" turned into "I don't want to see Santa! I don't want to sit on his lap!" So Neely did, and Aidan got to watch from John's arms, on the sidelines. He couldn't even be forced into the photo with John or I there this year. Sorry, grandma's and grandpa's, no picture of Aidan with Mr. Claus this year. But look at Neely...she looks so happy. It must be all that tickly fuzz.