The Regression of Meeting with Santa

Caroline and I just got in from doing some Christmas shopping in Castle Rock. It was really nice here today, about 60, so we took advantage and got out for the afternoon. Tomorrow is 35 and snow... They had the best outdoor set-up for Santa. A huge real tree (from California, I asked Santa himself), life-size presents under it and a cute little cabin. Caroline was in her stroller, we were outside, so I thought this might be our chance. Santa was standing outside his cabin and talking to children walking by and I thought "perfect!" Caroline can get to know him a little first...as soon as I walked up to the poor man and started talking to him, she had a fit! I felt so badly for Santa; he was a really nice one. This marks our 4th time of trying to get a picture. I have officially given up for the year. So the regression: the first time (as mentioned earlier in the blog), she walked down the path, saw him and turned around; the second time (same day), we tried to go in the back door so she wouldn't see him, started screaming; the third time (over Thanksgiving with mom -- thought someone else there might help), didn't even get through the ropes onto the path before the screaming started; and then today. Oh well. We have tried.

Luckily, I did get most of my Christmas shopping done today. I just need to wrap it and put it somewhere out of Miss Caroline's reach. Our poor tree has only a few ornaments on the bottom and they are all cloth ones that mom got at the Folk Art Center in Asheville. I didn't even think of this -- but I'm glad mom did. Caroline can do as she pleases with these ornaments and not destroy them -- jingle them, take them off, put them on, put them in her mouth, etc. I am also glad we have the fake tree this year. Otherwise a real one would have already been pulled down into the floor, lights taken off, and utterly destroyed. My wrapping theme this year is "silver and gold" and all presents will be wrapped in either silver or gold paper. I haven't decided on bows yet, but we have already gotten the tags at Costco (like in September, when they first came out). They have the cutest ones!