Ooooh NOOO! Santa Claus!!

It had to be done. The traditional picture with Santa. Ideally, this is a picture of a child beaming with joy after informing jolly old Santa of their most heart felt wishes for Christmas day. Or in our case, a screaming child, writhing & squirming to get loose from the crazy old guy with the odd red jogging suit. In other words, it was a typical picture day for us, that went something like this.

Maeve & I were having a good time at the Mall shopping for gifts. We had spent some time playing at the new and very cool playground, complete with just about every gadget ever designed to please a 20 month old toddler. Then headed over to the snack area and ate a boat load of greasy, extremely unhealthy, but ever so tasty french fries. Basically, a toddler's dream of heaven on earth. Then it happened...

Walking around, still in a dizzy, happy state of greasy euphoria from the french fries, we chanced upon Santa's house and noticed only a couple of families in line. Instantly, I began the extreme probability calculations of how long the happy, babbling toddler tagging along next to me would remain in said state...there was a camera involved afterall. Was I pushing my luck and subjecting my child to unknown horrors, or was it possible that I could get the dream shot that every mother hungers after! Dare I dream?!? It was a long shot, but I was feeling lucky, so we proceeded to the end of the line, one of us boldly and one, as of yet, blind to the horror that was about to commence.

Maeve giggled in line, making eyes and smiling at the little boy in front of us (no surprise there). She even watched happily while he had his "smiling" picture taken with Santa.

THEN IT WAS OUR TURN....

Santa turned expectantly towards us and Maeve paused...

The photographer took one look at us and knew the drill immediately. She gave me a knowing wink. "Wait until I'm ready", she said, "then calmly place her on Santa's lap and step back quickly." The old guy in red visibly cringed, knowing what was next. I waited, trying to appear complacent. Maeve looked around, somewhat pensively, beginning to get a sense of the impending doom that was about to take place.

Then I heard the signal. "I'm ready...GO!!", the photographer called. Three quick steps over and I placed Maeve in the big red guy's arm to meet her fate, then took a big step backwards. A quick "click" and "I've got it!" later, I pulled a sobbing Maeve out of the evil grasp of the big red guy and quickly accepted the blue & cream sucker offered for consolation. Plopping the sucker in her mouth, the sobs immediately abated as Maeve realized the complete messy potential of this wonderful gift. Seeing that she was now fine, I asked the photographer if we should try for another one. She looked me dead in the eye and said, "I've got a shot of her crying, leaning forward. Were you hoping for something else?" Taking one quick look at my now happy, babbling Maeve with blue cream sucker smeared all over her face, I said, "Nope" and walked over to the booth to pay for my pictures.

Mission Completed!



The dream still lives on. Next stop...the EASTER BUNNY!

Posted by Laura at 11:27 PM