The Santa Visit of 2011

You may remember that I recently shared with you about our last Santa visit.  

Since Lily Bird joined our family, our visits with Saint Nicholas truly try the patience of a saint.

Let's just say, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see our photo hanging in the mall, warning all Santas to steer clear of us.  Kind of like those "Most Wanted" posters you see on old Westerns on TV.

Can't you just see it now?

ATTENTION ALL SANTAS:

DO NOT TAKE PICTURES WITH THIS KID!

DO NOT LET THE INNOCENT SMILE FOOL YOU.  JUST READ THE SHIRT AND CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.

Because I have finally learned to just let the Santa pictures go, we were not even going to attempt the mall this year.

Now, we are fortunate to have a sweet man in our church who is the official Santa for all our Christmas productions.  And Amy, our Special Needs Director, worked with him to set up a photo op one Sunday afternoon when services were over and the church was quiet.

It was just perfect.

Now, when Lily first sat on Santa's lap, she didn't pay him a lick of attention.  How you can not notice that he looks a little different than the average guy is beyond me but she managed it.

Even doing some classic "snot rocket" blowing through her nose.  Nice for Santa, I'm sure.

Because we are gluttons for punishment and because Lily didn't seem to mind hanging with Santa (and we didn't feel he was quite snotty enough!), we tried it one more time.

Well, this time, she took a nice long gander at him.  

I mean, she really checked him out.  It was like she finally noticed him.  And while she didn't pull his beard (thankfully, since it's the real deal), she did feel the need to reach up there and check it out.

Then she turned and gave us a look that I think clearly (and very seriously) communicates she's not exactly sure what to do next.

So there you have it.

No smiles.  But no tears.

A little acknowledgement of Santa Claus.  And no injuries.

I'd call that a successful visit.