A visit with Santa

My kids love our annual outing to see Santa.

Yeah, they get a little nervous about it - especially Sarah, but there's just something magical about sitting on that jolly guy's lap and sharing their desires for new toys.

This year their requests seem to be based on whatever is on a commercial or in a sale flyer. There just hasn't been that one thing they just have to have. I don't have a problem with that, except that I don't really want them having the "gimmies."

You know...I want this, I want that...I want this, I want that...

So before we left to visit Santa I tried to work with them to come up with something that they really wanted, so they didn't just ask Santa for a candy cane because that's what was hanging next to him.

We practiced a ton of times. Sarah wanted a Barbie or a Sleeping Beauty doll, but it had to have a pink comb. Josh still changed his mind every time I asked. He really thought he wanted a Kota My Triceratops, but that's a lot of money for something that says its for ages 3 -5 and he turns six in a couple of months.

So we met Daddy at The Children's Museum for a special midday treat and waited in line to see Santa. When they get up there, Josh looked at Santa and said, "Do you still have Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?"

Santa answered that yes, he did, and that he would need his help if the weather is bad on Christmas Eve. Then Santa went on for awhile about how scientists figured out exactly how long he had to stop at each house (I think he said .42 milliseconds?) and how he would really need Rudolph's help, but that he had some extra help, too, by changing time zones. He kinda lost the kids in the explanation and then when he asked what they wanted for Christmas, all our practicing was forgotten.

Josh said he wanted a "stand up gun", and Sarah thought and thought and finally said she wanted a castle "like that one over there" and pointed across the room.

Kids.

Cute, cute kids.

Hopefully Santa can find them just what they want.

Good luck, dude!