Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Don't you tell a single soul....what I'm going to say...

(Thanks to my new Post Ally Santa,...they have made their peace with the little guy in red!)


Every year during the Christmas Holidays, myself along with my three children included, could be found waiting in the long lines along with every other child and their desperate mom at the Malls paying our dues to earn that perfect picture with the Mall Santa.
I,... sipping on my Starbucks mocha, and the kids,.... sipping on their little cups of hot cocoa, with a few spats here and there from the pure boredom that long Santa lines tend to bring out in even the most perfect of children including my own, who I might add right here, were not as into these Santa pictures as I and all the other moms were....but we Santa photo hungry mom's would press on none the less. Bribes, lies and promises I would never be able to keep would be made just to get that perfect picture. I would even sink as low as to use my December Birthday that I was blessed with to get that picture, note; all Santa picture moms really should have December Birthdays and if not, well then that could be your lie! I could be heard by every mom with in an ears shot, "Now children, this would be the all time perfect gift for your poor, old, gift-less mom here, I mean after all today is my Birthday, batting my big eyelashes at them." Did I mention desperate?

I have the most adorable Christmas scrapbook full of beautifully decorated pages and in the middle of each of those beautiful pages is a picture slapped smack dab in the center of each page, displaying two crying, terrified, red faced, red eyed, sad teary eyed children and one older brother looking a little scared himself, not to mention the searching looks from his eyes for the closest exit off the Santa Stage...

So when my kids were finally old enough to get it, that Santa really wasn't such a bad guy, it was a little to late for any more Santa pictures for this moms books. YEP, I will never forget the last time I talked these three into a Santa picture....deep breath,... deep sigh,... deep sorrow,.... So there we were, all standing in the long line at the Mall when the older brother pretty much made it clear that this was the last time he'd be partaking in this Santa picture taking ritual ever again, and I'm not real sure, but he may of mumbled never again in his life at this point in time as well.

I'm still to this day not sure if it was while the oldest was standing in the Santa line up, that he surveyed the surrounding children's height, and immediately pointed out the fact not only to myself but also his brother and sister that the oldest kid in line came up to about their knees or maybe it was when some girl Andrew recognized from school noticed him and yelled out "hi Andrew" as he was in the line with his brother and sister waiting to get his picture taken with the Mall Santa! (And just in case the girl is reading this blog on Andrews behalf, he really was in that "Santa line up" against not only his will but his better judgement.)
Yep, that was pretty much it for the oldest son and Santa pictures. I vividly remember looking all three of them in the eye and kindly reminding them as they all tried to crawl underneath the big red velvet roped off area between myself and the Santa line, that they owed me big time for a book full of really bad Santa Photos, not to mention it was my Birthday! ( The December Birthday really is what got me that last Mall Santa photo!)


So the point of this blog is for you moms standing in my shoes right now with a Scrapbook full of really bad Santa pictures! For those of you with the perfect pictures, this might be a good time for you to leave....


A couple years ago we were all down town Seattle at the Pike Place Market and I'd noticed this really cool looking Santa just standing in front of the restaurant on Post Ally Street...hmmmm I wondered....YES..... PERFECT..... KIDS!!!!!!

Come...follow me...Right....Now!

Here you are folks, drum roll please....meet our new Santa! This was so perfect that I couldn't of been more thrilled, I mean really,... you'd think I'd just won the lottery or something!


So here I give you our second annual Santa Photo with my kids...OK, so Andrew still isn't in this one but I threw Elliot's girlfriend aka son snatcher in the mix and I still have three kids in the picture, no red eyes, no tears and not one of these kids was afraid of this little Santa! I pretty much had to pull them off the poor guy!


So yes, there is indeed, hope for us moms who still long to fill those Christmas scrapbooks with good Santa pictures, happy faced children Santa pictures, not so scary Santa pictures, pffffft,...not only were there no lines,... he didn't even charge me! This may very well decrease our family therapy time that I am pretty sure all my children are going to put me through once they all have great paying jobs some day... only freshmen in College...Ahhhhh,...I have a few years yet.


I just hope this Post Ally Santa doesn't become to popular, I'd really hate to make my kids start standing in long lines again!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh christine - first of all - wonderful wonderful header - I LOVE IT!!!!

and santa...hmm... you have promted me to go andfind the photo of my little one about 27 yrs ago when she saw santa - her expression says exactly what u said here! lol...off to find and post in if you dont mind? I'm not usre of how else to share it?

youhave such a beautiful family!

Anonymous said...

the album I need to get out is buried under apile of stuff from our reno, so will have to wait till dd gets home to move it all out of the way for me! but.... watch this space!!!

Jessica said...

Awesome!!! That would be a great alternative for my toddler that is all about "stranger danger"! (and to him Santa is very strange!)

Kathleen said...

What a great Picture!! You sound so much like me, you see something and the brain starts going around....I usually get the eye roll and laugh when my facial expression changes, they kinda know something is coming...but are afraid to ask.

{darlene} said...

this is too cute! I love your album idea. And... any album without a screaming kid on Santa's lap, is incomplete. hehe

P-Dot said...

This is too funny. I have a picture of John at 4 trying to hit Santa in the face. I also have one of me with the Frederick & Nelson Santa back from the dark ages. I will see if I can find them. I also think I have one of Bobby-Bob-Robert somewhere in my fire proof storage box.
My kids do not think I am as funny as I think I am, for sure. But, fear not, WE your viewing public, are amused.

Christine said...

Krissie..is this Winterwood? Anyway, I'd love to see the pictures when you find them.

Jessica...I am telling you, this is the new Santa alternative! Head on over to Post Ally across from the market, no lines, no tears and no charge...although we did drop a couple bucks in the guitar case of the guy playing Christmas music near by!

LadyinPink...We really need to get together for a cup of tea and share ideas here! I don't make eye contact with any of them any more so I wouldn't be able to tell you if there was any of that going on at all...my guess is yes, but I didn't see it so in my mind it didn't nor ever has happened to me!...lol

Darlene...than I guess you could say that my Christmas album is complete!

P-Dot...I sure missed the F&N Santa’s! They really were the best, well according to me they were...I wished my kids could of met him when they got that Santa wasn't such a bad guy...I think they would of liked him!

Ms. Tee said...

What a great story! You know, I have 1 picture of our youngest with Santa - he was *always* terrified of him! I should do this, too - you're too cute. :)

Lorrie said...

This is a really fun post! I have my share of teary Santa photos from years gone by too!

Lisa said...

I think I might have one picture of Matthew on Santa's lap that turned out decent. ONE. I now refuse to go to one mall after they tried to sell me a blurry picture two years ago and almost refused to retake it. I gathered quite a crowd and darn near emptied their line. Yes, I got my picture for free that year :-)

When I was little I made my parents drive to 2 different malls until I decided that the Santa looked real enough to sit on his lap. Then I would only tell him what I wanted. I was very surprised that year when I got a sled...that my dad thought I should have. Hmmmm, I think I feel a blog coming on!! lol

P-Dot said...

This post has certainly stirred up a lot of memories for a lot of people. Too bad we don't have a place to post all the pics so we can all see each others. Would be a hoot.

Christine said...

Well, what do ya know...looks like I will have a lot of friends in therapy! lol

Attebetty said...

In 1952 the Seattle, Frederick & Nelson had 'Uncle Mistletoe at Cozy Cottage' instead of Santa. Uncle M. was a puppet show on t.v. and we had the first t.v. in the neighborhood. I seem to be the only person in the entire world that remembers him and the photo of my sister and I with him. I was going through Mom's photos tonight and found the photo! I looked up Uncle Mistletoe and found he was a Christmas staple in the Chicago Marshall Fields at Christmas for years. If you ever have a place to show the Santa pictures; I'll donate one from the dark ages. Here's the info I found. http://www.tvacres.com/puppets_unclemistletoe.htm

Christine said...

Ok...I am thinking we have to figure out a place to show off these Santa pictures! Carol you always amaze me with all your information! You have the best memory of all of us for sure! Wait a minute...1952...I wasn't even born yet! I have a free pass here!...lol I sure miss F&N and it always reminds me of my sweet Aunt Gennie! She loved that store!

P-Dot said...

We don't expect you to remember stuff before you were born. Ha ha...Oh my goodness!!! Did she ever love that store. I remember one time she bought your Mom a case of toilet paper from there. I didn't even KNOW they sold TP. That was at the lake house.

CarJax said...

We only did Santa pictures a couple of times but they were funny experiences. Katie was a party waiting to happen when she was a toddler/preschooler (still is come to think of it) so I think SHE scared Santa - LOL! Keaton was born smiling but when he saw a dressed up character he would tremble and be terrified. Chuck E. Cheese was the worst! While Katie was dancing with Chuck, Keaton was hiding under my skirt - or the table! So, Santa was out. Funny memories of two very different and very lovable kids. :D

P-Dot said...

It has become very apparent to me that these pictures are/were solely for the parents and the kids, for the most part, seemed to hate the experience. Chris, I do think there will be some therapy involved here.

Christine said...

Jackie that is funny!

P-Dot...what can I say...it's the mad scrapper in me! Had to have those pictures! I think you are right though...more for the parents than anything! lol