The Great Santa Debate

Success! We made it to see Santa without any major catastrophes! Everyone had a great time! We met Nana and Grandpa, Uncle Thomas (not to be confused with daddy Thomas), and Mimi for brunch. Everything went well at brunch and thereafter. Smile after smile, picture after picture everyone was jolly and full of cheer.

We were in a very well decorated location (not a mall but a grand hotel if you can believe it) so grandpa wanted pictures taken at every turn. As dutiful children excited to show off their kid on her first Christmas we happily stopped every few feet to smile and Emma followed suit.

After two hours of a very good baby, we sauntered over to the line to see Santa. At this point, someone was starting to get a little bit cranky. Afternoon naptime had come and gone and mommy started to get worried. By the time we got up to the front of the line, I knew we would need some kind of miracle to get a smile from Emma who was obviously all smiled out.

It all happened in slow motion. Thomas walked up to Santa with Emma as I ducked behind the cameraman. I missed the initial pass off, but by the time I had positioned myself and was able to look back I saw it. A face I know so well because it is the only time my child looks like me, her all out screaming crying face! I was not too upset because I was mentally aware that this was a probability. In that moment everyone stopped and stared at her, the camera guy, the line lady, the 20 other families in line. I could hear everyone give a collective gasp and then time froze and I did what any mommy would do. Like the beginning of a slow clap at the end of a movie, I started clapping really loudly and yelling “YYYYAAAAAAYYYY!!!” at the top of my lungs. All of a sudden everyone in the crowd joined in and we were all cheering for this sweet baby to smile and she did! Ok so maybe the entire Santa line wasn’t cheering but it sure sounded like it. Anyways we got our smile. Followed promptly by a glance upward at Santa’s face only to rediscover there was a scary man in a psychedelic shirt (to be explained later) holding her which lead to another meltdown. Luckily daddy swooped in to save the day!     

To back track, while we were waiting for Santa, everyone in our party made a very profound observation. None and I mean NONE of the kids in line had any holiday attire on, even the babies! One baby boy was in a blue jumpsuit and another baby girl was wearing a pink shirt and jeans. So did I miss the memo? Is it no longer “cool” to dress up your child like they are headed for the North Pole? My husband did make a comment the other day about how the corduroy jumper I put Emma in for picture day was sooooo 80s! Maybe I am behind the times, but this is my kid’s first Christmas, in fact I might only have a few Christmases to put her in a cute little holiday outfit so I am running with it!

Just to be sure, my mommy friend who had taken her son to see Santa the week before at the same place said the same thing. Her son was the only child in Christmas gear. Maybe it is the posh people who go see the hotel Santa that don’t dress up their kids? Maybe people just so happened to be walking by and saw Santa and said hey why not? I thought this was something you meticulously plan out? Maybe only the type A folks.

The other problem that came up was of all things … Santa’s attire. So not only did the kids not have Christmas cheer, but Santa was not in his complete red suit, which sent my ultra traditionalist mother off her rocker. He was wearing a psychedelic blue shirt with multicolored hot air balloons! I was kind of taken back by the whole thing myself. He was “authentic” if you know what I mean, but something to me said Santa might be on hiatus from his North Pole biker buddies.

Which leaves several questions at hand: Are certain traditions going out the window? Do you dress up your children in holiday outfits? Is Santa trying to keep up with the Katy Perry/ Niki Minaj generation? Or did he get lost on his way from a Grateful Dead concert? (see picture below – sorry it is a little burry)

What do you think? Weigh in on the great Santa debate!