Will He Sit on Santa's Lap This Year?

That was the question this year, since the separation anxiety and stranger-danger peak between 18 mo. and 2.5 yrs.  Last year AJ had no problem sitting on the big, red-suited, white-bearded man, and he was more interested in pulling on Santa's beard than in asking for a toy!  But I was expecting this year to be a little different...  

And it WAS!  For one thing, we got to drive downtown due to a special parking situation and got to skip the ride on the train (and the waiting for the train in the cold!). Another difference was that Andy got to come with us for the whole experience. Last year we just called him when we neared the end of the line. Here's father and son entering the winter wonderland that precedes Santa. AJ was looking all over at all the glitter and lights! But besides the fact that AJ did NOT want to sit on Santa's lap this year, the biggest difference between this year and last was the fact that there was ABSOLUTELY NO LINE!!  I mean it! Not another soul was on line that day, and we literally walked right through to the gate to meet the Elf. Unbelievable! The elf even told us that the previous day at this time the line was out the door.  Luck, I guess, but who are we to question it?

We took our time to let AJ check out the cool decorations and the interactive things along the way. Here he is pushing a big button that made a little character in a window light up and spin around. He really liked all the stuff, and probably more than he might have if we'd been on the line for 2hrs like last year!  But at least we could move as fast as we wanted, and move we did! See how in the pictures we still all have on our coats and scarves?

Well, AJ was excited to see Santa, and was telling me how he was going to say thing to him like, "Merry Christmas, Santa! Ho, ho ho!", and "Thomas, please, Santa". When we told him Santa was right in the next room, AJ bolted around the wall, only to stop dead in his tracks as soon as he SAW Santa. I said, "AJ, there's Santa! Can you go up and say Hi to him?".  AJ answered, "no" while shaking his head and slowing backing away. It was so funny, but we tried not to laugh as my mom, Andy and I coaxed him closer to Santa while snapping photos. AJ did like Santa's white pom pom on the tip of his hat, but not enough to get a closer look.  Finally, I sat down next to Santa and put AJ on my lap, and we snapped "the" picture. I'm pretty sure if we'd just abandoned AJ on the big dude's lap, we'd have one of those classic kid-screaming-on-Santa's-lap shots, but as it was, there were no tears.  Funny enough, when asked what he'd like for Christmas, AJ didn't say "Thomas" as he had rehearsed...he asked for a drum.

After we left Santa and his wonderland, we said goodbye to Andy who had to get back to work and my mom took AJ and I to the Walnut Room on the 7th floor to have french toast and coffee, respectively. AJ really liked the 2 story, famous Christmas tree they have every year in the center of the dining room. Every year they decorate it on a different theme and I guess this year's theme was toys since the tree was drenched in them. A tree of this scale could handle being adorned in actual teddy bears, dolls and toy fire trucks, I guess! My mom liked showing the tree to AJ and he enjoyed pointing out to her all that he saw and recognized.  He also liked his French toast, but I cannot lie and say that I didn't eat his sausages and some of the toast too! (It wasn't lunchtime yet, so all he really needed was a snack, right?) The nice gentleman at the table behind us offered to take our picture and I was happy that AJ turned around and looked at the camera, even if he did have a fork in his mouth! We all had a good time and maybe this will be another tradition...too bad we can't rely on the lack of a line to see Santa as a new tradition too!