Last weekend we gave in to the holiday pressure and took our kids to sit on Santa’s knee. I don’t know why we fall for this manufactured childhood memory every year. It’s like a cultural requirement even though sitting on Santa’s lap is by no means a prerequisite to believing in him. Plain and simple, our kids do not want to sit on Santa’s lap. They like Santa; they believe in Santa, but they don’t want to wait in line and be forced to sit on his lap. I guess as parents you just feel that sitting on Santa’s lap is something you should make your kids do. So we found a great Winter Wonderland created by Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville about 25 miles from our house. When we arrived at 11:00 am to see Santa, we were given a card and told to return at 2:30 for our allotted time. We should have just gone home at that point, but we were committed.
This was going to be tough though. Keeping three kids under four happy and entertained for three and a half hours in order to see Santa. First, we had Chloe Jane and Cara write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox. Then they played some games–virtual fishing and remote control cars. The store had a large fish tank that occupied some time. Only 20 minutes? How could all that only take 20 minutes? We should have left at that point, but we were committed.
We had lunch at a Chili’s. Then the girls rode a carousel in the middle of the food court a couple of times. We walked around the mall a little longer then returned to Santa’s village. We waited about a half an hour or so in line interrupted only by an emergency potty break. Did I mention we’re in the middle of potty training too? Finally, we reached Santa. Chloe Jane was reluctant but willing–not thrilled mind you– but willing to have her photo taken. Cara was having none of it. As soon as she was placed on his knee, she turned and raised her arms to be rescued. Eventually, the crew put a small chair in front of Santa where Cara sulked and Chloe Jane stood next to her while Santa sneaked into the photo from behind like some jolly, bearded interloper.
The photo with Santa tells you all you need to know about whether meeting Santa was something the kids wanted to do or something their parents did to them.
Anyway, hopefully we’ll remember the resolution we made as we left the Winter Wonderland: No more bringing the kids to Santa until they tell us they want to visit Santa. In case, I forget by next Christmas, someone needs to send me a link to this post . . . or to the 2009 post where we stood out in the freezing cold for half an hour at Stone Mountain after the Christmas parade well past the girls’ bedtime also affectionately known as melttime or the 2008 post where Chloe Jane would only sit on my knee while Santa leaned in to get into the photo or the 2007 post where we waited an hour in line at Lenox only to have a photo of Chloe Jane sitting on Santa’s lap screaming with arms stretching off camera toward her Mom who moments earlier cruelly left her with this strange man.
Click photo below to begin slideshow. Click the icon at bottom of image for full screen.