A Visit With Santa

We were busy. Just a few days before Christmas and the house was in a flurry of festive activity - present wrapping, treat making, the soft glow of the white lights warmly lit the house and the Christmas standards were in heavy rotation. Every thing was disheveled and out of order as we were focused on preparing for all that was to come. Tonight, there was even more to be excited about. Daddy was coming home early from work and we were going out to meet Santa Claus for the very first time. We cleaned up and made sure to look sharp and headed out the door. To visit with Santa a few days before Christmas is a popular endeavor, it requires taking a number for your spot in line, some clever distracting of the children and to be perfectly honest, heaps of grace. A few elves let us know that based on our number we could expect to see Santa at around 8:30 pm. In the meantime, we had dinner and met up with Rylie's best friend, Fauna. With all of the good cheer in the air, Rylie wanted to give Fauna her Christmas present - a wooden ababcus. When we returned at 8:30 we found that there had not been much progress in the line. After a bit of consultaiton with a nearby elf, we found out that our visit to see Santa coincided with the one night of the season Santa sets aside to meet with pets, as well as children. Apparently, the line was moving particularily slow because of the extra time it took Santa to put on and remove the red velvet pet apron he wore in order to not mess his suit. After doing some calculations, we figured we may not see Santa until 11 pm. The babes were all dressed up, ready, and anxious. So us four adults put our heads together and thought, well, there must be a lower number ticket around here some place. Perhaps, stuck in the gutter for the trolley rail. Why yes! Yes, indeed! There were two tickets with lower numbers right there in the trolley rail! We would get to see Santa after his break at 9:30. We let the girls run a bit to get out all of that energy while the dads held the line. Behind them stood an older woman with two tired, gray weimaraners who asked Ryan if he could move forward because her dog's paws were getting cold on the pavement and she wanted to get them onto the red carpet aisle that spread out before Santa's house. 
The girls ran in and out of shops with the abacus in tow everywhere they went. They discovered elaborate and delicate china in the windows of spendy shops. They delighted in crossing above and below the velvet ropes that surrounded the line to Santa's village. Rylie was particularily excited that it was pet night and said hi to all of the dogs. She ran up to one giddy labrador puppy and he licked her whole face and head and made here hair stand straight on end. She returned the favor by kissing him back.

Santa came back from break and it was time to go inside and meet him. He was very gentle and skilled at talking with the littlest of children. He very calmly spoke with Rylie for a few minutes while she was still in my arms and then we set her on his lap. She let out a short cry for the first five seconds and then relaxed and just stared at his beard and glasses.

Fauna, however, was not as happy to see him, bless her heart. I am sure, had she had her abacus, she may have been more calm. Did you get to see Santa this year? How did it go?