I Love You Santa!

This past Friday, we took the kids to a local Credit Union, where Nikki works to see Santa. We did this last year, and although the kids would not sit on his lap last year, they still refused this year. Take that back, Aidan did climb up slowly after 25 minutes of watching other children climb up on his lap, and only a promise for a candy cane. Of course the only picture of that i have not scanned in.

The kids were fortunate to be able to see, talk with, and watch Santa for an hour. C'mon what kids get to do that? I think back to the quick 20 seconds i use to have on Santa's lap, a smile, and crawl on down for the next swarm of children. I can't help but remember the part of the Christmas Story, were Santa pushes him down the slide after saying he will "shoot his eye out" with his request for a Red Ryder BB Gun.

The kids refused to go near Santa for the first 20 minutes, even though Layla was willing to let me put Eeyore on his lap, and myself to show them it was "ok". Eventually someone came up with the idea of popcorn, and even though Kendall wasn't THRILLED to have a picture of the kids 'near' Santa on chairs with popcorn, we both agreed it's better than no picture with Santa at all right? The one we have without popcorn Layla has a big frown, and well Aidan is stealing CandyCanes out of the basket...Once the popcorn came out, Layla shared with everybody, and soon with her new friend Santa who she would be glued to, telling him everything from her "Princess Dress" she had on, to how Eeyore is her real best friend.

Still there was NO sitting on his lap.


Through our hour at the Credit Union, we realized that it was the same Santa from last year, he once was a school teacher for the local schools here, and is fasinated with Layla's speech for a 2 year old. At this point Aidan would rather be eating the 3 Candy canes he horked from Santa's basket and sit by his buddy "Bobbob" while eating them....and the plastic around them.

Having an hour, Layla became very attatched to "Her Santa Clause!" They giggled together, played telephone together, in which she called in her requests for Christmas..."dinosaurs and legos," and insuring that he knew "Santa, it's 'Ayla!" I am still amazed how patient this man was, to sit there and listen to the same 2 year old ramble on and on about whatever fascinates a two-year-old. A few times other children would come in, and she would politely back away and watch as other children would actually SIT on his lap and get a picture.

She STILL would not sit on his lap.


It was nice that someone else beyond the popcorn idea came up with the kids sitting in little chairs next to Santa. That they did willingly, very willingly for Aidan was near the basket of candy canes to grab more...and Layla got to sit there feeding Santa Clause, piece after piece of her popcorn until he finally politely declined...She still gave him more. At one point Santa took a break, a few seconds later we found Layla wandering AFTER him to the bathroom saying "Santa wait up!"

Still Aidan huddled in his corner eating his popcorn and candy canes, gaining more and more ENERGY that later would abrupt within our living room when we got home with loud screams and running like a crazy little kid. After much coaxing Layla to leave, i thought hey PERFECT opportunity "Layla why don't you sit on Santa's lap before we leave for a picture memory??"

Still she would NOT sit on his lap.

Even though they never sat on his lap, except Aidan for a short 7 seconds, they did however willingly and without coaxing gave him a goodbye hug, Layla then looked up at him during the hug and said...

"Santa, I Love You!"

How nice that a man just volunteering his time for 3 hours would look back at the little girl with a smile and a twinkle in his eye and say "Ms. Layla, Santa loves you too!"