This was probably MM’s first meeting with Santa Claus, picture taken for free at a local bank. It still amazes me how much they charge for a picture with Santa at the mall, etc. when you can find free picture opportunities everywhere. Banks, Christmas Tree farms, even Wal-mart all seem to offer a chance to get your picture taken with Old Saint Nick.
This picture still makes me laugh a lot. At 8 months old, he wasn’t really afraid of that large bearded man in red, just a tiny bit curious. I think in 2007 we attempted another picture and he freaked out more. I’m not sure because apparently there is no photographic evidence. I couldn’t find any pictures from 2008 either. In 2009 I know that we took the kids to see Santa at a local farm here in Wisconsin, but I was feeling lazy and didn’t bother taking a picture and then never got around to finding another opportunity.
How did I go three years without getting another picture of my kid with Santa? Isn’t that a thing that people do annually? I sprung on an opportunity today to get a picture of both kids with Santa – for free of course. I was using my small Canon so the quality wasn’t great, but dude it’s better than NO picture at all for four years in a row, right? Plus you can’t beat free.
BB was neither afraid of nor interested in Santa Claus, mostly she just seemed to sit there and say, “Whatev.” MM is totally into the Santa thing this year though, well aware that Santa is basically a celebrity and totally awesome. Though, he kept telling Santa that “The other Santa lives in the clouds at the North Pole” and I kept trying to assure him that there was only one Santa and that he didn’t live in the clouds (that I know of).
My cover might have been blown when we went to Wal-mart after and another Santa was there, and in my opinion he looked noticeably different than the Saint Nick photographed above. So maybe that castle in the clouds idea isn’t completely out of the question?
Dan is partly pleased with the fact that we haven’t made this an annual tradition, not very fond of the whole thing in general. I don’t think I had my picture taken with Santa every year growing up. I only have a few pictures from my childhood with Santa, mostly when I was pretty young. Maybe we did it more, I honestly can’t remember.
These thoughts also lead to bigger questions about the whole Santa conversation in general, the “do we continue the lie” thing which I inevitably answer with a “yes” because I think some childhood lies are in good fun, and are more magical than malicious. I like that in childhood you believe in things even when they are not practical or realistic. And I have to admit, it almost ruins the magic of Christmas when you run into Santa in every store you go to. After awhile your kid definitely might start thinking something is up and it makes the whole thing less special.
I don’t think MM or little BB are going to look through my photo albums or digital photo books someday and ask, “Mom why aren’t there pictures of us with Santa Claus every year?” And really, if there was photographic evidence from each year, eventually a clever kid is going to take a look at those pictures with various Mall Santas lined up and they are going to notice that not all of those guys really look alike and then? The magic might be ruined just because Mommy was too On Top Of Things. So really, my haphazard, forgetful fits of laziness might really be helping my children keep that magical childlike innocence a bit longer.
So you might have to wait until like 2014 to see another picture of my kids with Santa, but you know what? I’m okay with that.
Mommablogsalot 
8 responses to “Time gets away from me sometimes.”
i love the excitement of the children when they see Santa!
It makes it more magical to me 🙂
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We’re doing Santa right now..and the Santas they see are “Santa’s helper” not the real deal. They tell Santa everything every night!
And, we’ve never paid to sit with Santa, either:)
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@ Nancy : I think part of the beauty of the Magic of Santa is the “is he or isn’t he debate?” like even after some kid in school blabs to you that Santa isn’t real, I think a part of you still hopes. I know I hoped for years, even when I didn’t really think it was true anymore, I still sort of hoped that maybe I was wrong.
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I do have pictures of my kids with Santa every year but I’m sure your kids won’t even notice. Our old town back in Jersey had this awesome Santa land and it was tradition to go every year, even though Zach’s been terrified since he was 11 months old and cried in terror. This year Santa came to daycare and he hopped right up on his lap to tell him what he wanted. We’re doing a Breakfast with Santa this weekend – fundraiser for a local high school’s band – so I’ll get both kids.
I also tell my kids that the mall and other Santas are his helpers – Alex knows they’re not the real Santa because he’s busy at the North Pole. What I’m afraid is going to ruin it for him is actually all of these movies about how Santa’s not real, even though of course in the end it turns out he is. But I always wonder when he’s going to start to really think about it and want to know why someone *might* think Santa’s not real. Of course once he figures it out, we’ll tell him what Jon’s parents told him – you don’t have to believe in Santa, but then you won’t get any presents. Mean? Perhaps. But I think it also helps keep some of the magic.
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Santa’s expression in that first shot makes me want to give up the lies! Santa ought not look so down in the dumps!
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I don’t think I have one picture of my kids with Santa. I can’t remember every taking one. What a bad mother I am.
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[…] also: got the kids’ picture taken with Santa as I mentioned here and ran some errands, grocery shopping and picking up most of the last few bits and pieces for our […]
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We eventually told my kids that the Santas they see here are actually helpers cause the real guy needs to be @ the North Pole getting everything ready. It works for a bit.
I have to say that I get really frustrated w/ people who won’t let their kids believe in the magic (& I do mean magic) that is Santa Clause. Those are the kids who are usually jealous that all of the rest of the class gets Santa & the end up telling the other kids there is no Santa. Every year we go through this & every year it’s just really hard to not be frustrated. Sigh… oddly enough it’s not the Jewish kids who squeal either. Pretty weird, eh?
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