Visit with Santa

Mia’s Santa visit was the sweetest thing.  She was so very excited to go and see him and I was relieved when we were the only ones in line, which meant I wouldn’t have to wait with an exploding-at-the-seams child for a long time.  There was a little baby, not even a year old, taking his picture with Santa in front of us and that baby would not smile for anything, no matter what they did – and they did a lot.  So Mia and I patiently waited, which was hard because as soon as she saw Santa Clause, she wanted to attack him.  I explained that everyone wanted to see Santa and we were next, but had to wait our turn.  So we waited and waited and waited.  That baby really didn’t want to smile.  They finally settled for what they could get and so I got my camera ready to take exploding shots of my wild child.  I heard a loud noise from above, but didn’t pay that much attention because I had more important things to worry about at the moment like getting my camera at the ready for Mia who was now literally jumping in place with excitement.  But when I saw one of the assistants cover the camera with a cloth I snapped-to and heard another one say “Here comes the snow!”  Excuse me?  This is not only So-Cal, but we were indoors, so I was momentarily confused.  But then there it was – snow!  Of course it wasn’t snow-snow, but it was foam snow, which was just as exciting for us.  Mia was so thrilled, she just had to share the news of snow with everyone (as if they didn’t know).  First me, then a woman standing next to us, and then – there he was – a child-free Santa.  The baby had now gone and Santa had no idea what he was in for.  Mia saw him; he saw her.  Their eyes connected and she started hollering while jumping to see over the poinsettias, “Santa!  It’s snowing!”   

She wasn’t sure if he could hear her over the noise from above, so she cautiously walked the path to him.  She looked back at me for the okay and once she rounded the corner, she went full speed and attacked him with a hug before I could even say, “Mia slow down!”  I cringed, half-expecting Santa to be knocked out of his big green chair, but he didn’t skip a beat and caught her in his arms.  Damn, he’s good.  And he really was good.  He’s the same Santa that’s been there every Christmas since we took Mia her first year.  He not only looks the part, but he’s so very kind and loving with the kids.  Truly a nice man.  So Mia hugged him for a long time.  She had so much built-up excitement, she just had to get that bear hug out of her system.  He just hugged her back and talked to her while letting her have her long moment of embrace.   

She finally looked up at him and started immediately talking to him while staring at him in awe.  In the midst of trying to take pictures and talk to the assistants, I didn’t hear everything from their conversation but I heard a few bits and pieces including:  “Santa, I’m so glad to see you! – Look, it’s snowing! – Santa, Mamma curled my hair to come see you! – Do you live in the North Pole? – Are you gonna bring me a present!?”  He sweetly spoke to her and answered with all the sweet answers you’d expect from Santa Clause.  When he asked her what she wanted for Christmas she froze.  She had only been telling me for a month now what she wanted from Santa, but now she was frozen with a smile on her face.  Maybe she was just taking in the moment because she then excitedly said, “I want a pink bike!”  Santa asked her if she’d been a good girl, to which she boisterously laughed, then replied, “Yeeaaah.”  That made Santa laugh because it was obviously such a mischievous answer!  Him laughing made her laugh even more as she told him, "Santa, you're so silly!"  What a ham.  He really got a kick out of her and he told me she was a little treasure.  How sweet.  :-)

 

She was hesitant to say goodbye, but was okay with it after I told her other kids were waiting their turn to see him.  She said bye and they waved to each other until we could no longer see him.  After we were on our way home, Mia kept talking about Santa non-stop.  She then got quiet for a moment and said, "Thanks Mamma!  This was the best day ever!"  I wish I could have recorded it all, but the memory will always be with me – and I hope with her, too.