Black Friday

With coupons and fruit snacks in my purse, we made the big trip to the mall yesterday to do a little shopping and see Santa Clause. We talked about how it would be over breakfast:

“We’ll wait our turn. Then Santa Clause will put you on his lap and I will be right there too. He will ask you if you’ve been a good girl, what are you going to tell him?”

“Yes, I’m good one and I’ll tell him I want One Pony with a Brush for Christmas”

“Good! Remember you have to tell him loud in his ear like this… ‘SANTA CLAUSE, I WOULD LIKE A PONY PLEASE’ can you do that?”

“Yes, I will first tell him I am good and then I will tell him I would like a pony – looouud.”

After a forty minute drive we circled the parking lot for twenty minutes trolling for a space. Each barley missed spot was followed with “Crap!” and on the sixth or seventh exasperated turn of the wheel Ella started to whine she wanted out of her seat and the “Crap” turned into “Crappity crap crap!” and on the fourteenth or fifteenth circle for a spot I threw my hands up in the air and Ella asked me “Mom? Did you just crap?” and that was when I finally decided to park in the lot across the street.

On the hike through the parking lots we reviewed the Santa Claus visit. Ella agreed again she was ready to talk loud about the ponies and she would say ‘cheese’ at the end so I could take a picture. We fought our way through the first department store weaving in and out of lines twenty long sprouting from each register. When we finally reached the wide open span of the mall I bent down and took Ella’s coat off and asked her if she was getting excited to see Santa. She nodded and I hung our things off the back of the stroller. We strolled up to center court and surveyed the Santa Area. I bent down and asked Ella if she was ready, her eyes were wide as she nervously nodded. I circled the Santa Castle trying to stall while she found her nerve. When she seemed calm I unbuckled her stroller belt and held her hand as we entered the Santa Castle line.

The first turn had us waiting in front of a diorama of children all snug in their beds. “It’s ok to push the button if you want to.” I said and Ella toyed with the idea for a few minutes. I pretended I was entirely interested in what was on sale in the leather coat shop window while I proudly watched her through the corner of my eye find the courage to push the button. Sugar plumbs danced above the kids heads and Ella smiled and watched quietly soaking it all in. We rounded the corner fast and ended up waiting again in front of the third diorama this one of reindeer pulling a sleigh with Santa Claus in it. The little boy behind us clung to his Dad’s neck while the Dad tried to prod his son into pushing the button to make the reindeer legs gallop in the sky. Ella marched right over and pushed the button and when the father said to his son “See! She can push the button why can’t you?!” I winced a little in my head and leaned down to pick Ella up.

“We’re going to see Santa pretty soon. The baby in line in front of us is going to sit on Santa’s lap and…”

“Mom! It’s Santa CLAUSE” she said insisting I use his full name.

“Oh yeah. The baby will sit on Santa CLAUS’s lap and then we will see him, and when it’s your turn you can tell him you are a good girl and tell him what you would like for Christmas and tell him loud and then you will say cheese for the picture, ok?”

“I’m ready Mom!”

We waited and watched the baby take her turn. Ella confidently held my hand standing on her own two feet. We moved forward and watched the baby’s parents pay for two hundred and eighty two pictures of the baby and Santa and then it was Ella’s turn! I peeled her sweater off revealing her Christmas shirt. I turned to hang it on the stroller. I turned back around to find a crazed elf/lady of about 45 poking Ella in the ribs with an Elmo puppet trying to get her to cheer up before she sat on Santa’s lap. I quickly squatted next to Ella and put my arms around her. Ella pressed into me unsure of this new freaky element. The elf brought her face unusually close to Ella and gave her some fuzzy-wuzzy baby-waby talk about liking Santa “B‘cause him wuvs good widdow gews and bwoys and...” some other sappy drivel. At this point I think Ella tried to crawl into my shirt. I picked my horrified toddler up and exclaimed “Let’s get this show on the road.” while I skirted the elf and found our Santa Claus.

Santa Claus was smiling and ready with a twinkle in his eye and a wave for Ella, she climbed right up into his lap and leaned in. They talked about something briefly all quiet and close and I resisted the urge to lean in and eavesdrop by walking over to the camera and looking into the computer screen. I wanted that moment on film, Ella and Santa telling secrets to each other, “Let’s get a picture” I said to the elf. When she grabbed up that Elmo puppet and walked towards Ella I thought about tackling her to the floor and stuffing that stupid Elmo puppet down her gullet. Instead she poked Ella in the ribs with it and when Ella recoiled in horror she said “Did I find a ticklish spot?” and did it again. I rubbed my forehead and waited for the tears. Ella held it together pretty well and I paid for my $15.00 3x5 plus two sparkly key chains while Ella clung to my leg hiding from the dreaded elf with her hand up Elmo’s rear.

Here's hoping your Holiday Season starts off with a smile.