Last Thursday over Trav’s lunch hour we took the kids to see Santa. First things first…mid-day is the BEST time to go visit Santa. At least at Plaza Frontenac. No line at all! There was one kid in front of us but he was already with Santa so we waited a whopping 2 minutes. Awesome. Right before it was our turn, Santa came over and told the kids he had to take a quick break and he’d be back in a couple of minutes. The kids were instantly curious and asked us a million questions about where he had gone. The reality is that he had to take a bathroom break, but my kids would peg him with questions about this the minute he returned (they’re all about the questions these days). We told him that he had to go feed his reindeer…which they bought and pegged us with loads of questions about the kinds of foods they eat and whether or not Rudolph was out there. We also had time to remind them of proper Santa etiquette…sit, smile, tell him what you want, and so on. Here they are getting prepped and ready for the big guy.
Molly never stopped grinning the whole time we were there. Actually, grin is probably and understatement. She smiled so big that I’m sure her face hurt. She couldn’t help herself…she just couldn’t wait to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. But before they told him what they wished for, they smiled their little faces off so we could get a few pictures.
This Santa visit was a drastic improvement upon last year’s visit. In 2010, we had to wait in line for at least a half hour to see Santa, and then Molly screamed the whole time she sat on Santa’s lap. These pictures are evidence that Molly harbored no remaining fear of jolly old St. Nick…in fact she kept looking at us while she was sitting on his lap saying, “I not crying!”. It proved to be a much better year for the photo op. Moving on…after smiling for pictures the kids moved on to sharing their wish lists with Santa. Owen told Santa that he wanted Optimus Prime, and Molly asked for Belle and the Beast. Might I just add that my children own BOTH of the gifts they requested…I’m seriously considering rewrapping their own toys and letting them reopen them under the tree. Budget-friendly Christmas in this house! Here’s a shot of Owen as he chats up Santa…
And before we left, Santa gave the kids a big squeeze…which was awfully generous of him to do considering we were those cheap parents who didn’t buy any of the overly priced professional pictures they offered.
And that was 2011′s visit with Santa. Lots of smiles, no tears, requests for presents already owned, and no line. Success.
How cute is this! What a great Santa….the hug looks genuine and sweet. Real beard, too. Awesomeness.
Such adorable pictures!! Molly did a great job this year – and I really think you might have stumbled upon the real St. Nick! He sure looks like the real thing to me!