Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

 

I love this picture. I really do.

But I wish that I had gotten on film what happened after this picture was taken.

Tate was the most excited of all the kids to go see Santa this year. He's been looking at all the pictures we have of past years and analyzing them.

2005- "Where's baby Tate? Baby Druebie cryin'".

2006- "There's baby Tate".

2007- "I was cryin'. Look, there's boo key!"

2008- "Tate happy. Druebie scared."

So he was definitely ready to go see him this year. All the way up to the mall he kept saying, "I'm going to hug Santa!".

Hug him? I would just be happy if he sat in his vicinity and looked somewhat cheery for the picture.

There was one little girl in line ahead of us, so we didn't have to wait long at all. Tate was still excited, yet I could tell his shyness was beginning to peek through. Last year he did fine and Drue is the one who wouldn't go near him. Santa had to end up standing behind the chair and Drue leaned into Reese for protection.

Their turn came and they all walked up to the jolly fellow. Reese was positioned in that little chair in front, Drue perched on one knee, and Tate on the other. They took a few shots and were about to send us on our merry way when I said, "Tate, smile normal." So they took one more shot. It's still not his normal melt your heart smile, but that's ok.

(He decided to run with his hands in his pockets on the way to Drue's school this morning and toppled forward onto his face, thus the red chin.)

On a sidenote, one of the workers asked me, "Do they all belong to you?" as though I'd just traipsed in with 12 children or something.

After the picture was taken, they all just sat up there and had a little conversation with Santa. I could only hear bits and pieces of it. I made out Drue say softly that she wanted a zhu zhu pet. Then Santa asked a question and their little hands shot up in the air. (I later found out from Reese that he had asked them who was going to make him a cookie).

They finished up and he directed them to a big bucket of lollipops. As they were heading back to me Tate stopped, turned around, ran back to Santa and threw his arms around his neck! Santa hugged him like he was his long lost grandson. The. Sweetest. Thing. Ever.

Then Santa called the girls back to get hugs from them as well.

I had started to feel a bit sad that they were all grown up now and no one was afraid of him this year. But what a special moment that was to watch them each give Santa a huge bear hug and share in their joy and excitement. Yes, they are growing. But they are still young and innocent and have such tender spirits.

Of course, they excitedly told me all the details of their visit on the ride home. Reese exclaimed, "And Mom! Santa could tell what Buddy was saying!". I asked her how she knew, and she continued, "Because Santa repeated it! He said, 'You want a T Rex that can open it's mouth?'".

This could very well be the last year all three of them still believe. So I am going to enjoy every last minute of it.