Visiting Santa

Remember last year when I said that I wouldn't set Jett on Santa's knee? I feel the same way this year too, but when a toy store down the street from us announced that your child could eat breakfast with Santa, I thought that might be worth a visit. I also appreciated that there was no standing in line. We actually made an appointment to see Santa - and got our own 15 minute time slot.

So this morning at 10:00, Charlie and I bundle up Jett, and bundle up ourselves, and walk on down to the store. It's picturesque, really, with fresh snow on the ground, Jett bundled up in his stroller, on our way to see Santa. As soon as we walk in the store and hear the first ho, ho, ho, Jett starts shaking his head, "No". But I scooped him up and walked back towards Santa anyway. We only got close enough for me to accept the candy cane that Santa offered Jett, with Jett snug in my arms and shaking his head, "No" throughout the entire exchange.

We hung out in the store for a while afterwards, eating their muffins, drinking their juice, playing with their toys, and tracking snow everywhere. Jett was entranced by two things in the store. One was a pull-toy, (and Charlie, the softie, bought it) and the other was an entire shelving unit of sequined covered ballet slippers (I considered buying him a pair, but didn't). Jett never acknowledged Santa, but I would say that he was entranced by him too. Occasionally Jett would take my hand and slowly walk back towards the room that Santa was waiting in. In fact, he had a whole routine worked out. To be clear, I should explain that the store is three rooms long. We spent our time in the first room, and Santa was in the last room. While there was still an entire room between us and Santa, Jett would take my hand and slowly and carefully walk up to the threshold of the first room, walk over the threshold, point to a piece of fruit (which he then wouldn't eat) on the refreshments table, and then s-l-o-w-l-y back out of the room, still holding my hand. He never acknowledged Santa, who was sitting against the farthest wall, two rooms away from us, but he never turned his back on him either.

I would like to say that Jett's hesitancy suggests that he has already grasped the true meaning of Christmas and has no particular interest in acquiring material goods, but one trip with him through Target tells me that's not true.

Oh well. Happy Holidays!

A safe distance.