How do you do it?

All you parents out there, who have cute, adorable pictures of your kids sitting with Santa...how do you do it? When CJ was 11mos old, she just stared at him, as if to say, who are you? Last year moving, we elected not to even try it as we were pretty sure she wasn't interested, plus she didn't have a clue to the whole Santa thing. This year I signed the girls up at church for a breakfast with Santa event. I thought if CJ was shy, she would have time to warm up to him as we ate breakfast and did the craft. We talked about it a head of time. She knew what she was going to ask for --an orange and orange hair pom poms (If you have read the book, When I was Little, a Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth, by Jamie Lee Curtis; you know what she is talking about). CJ told me she wanted to look cute and directed how her hair should be done, which rubber bands to use, and what she was going to wear. CJ talked about seeing Santa and talking to him all the way there --we have a 25min drive. I asked her if she wanted to eat breakfast, she said no, she was ready to see Santa. So we waited in line. She was very excited. Quickly it was her turn. Yup, that's right, she wouldn't even walk close to him. Eric had put Laurelei on his lap --thinking CJ would join her--and Laurelei just SCREAMED at him.
Okay, I knew this could happen. We went and ate breakfast. Then CJ did the craft.

But still no interest in sitting on the big guy's lap. So I sat in the chair holding both girls and Eric stood next to it with the idea that Santa could sneak in the picture...CJ wouldn't remove her head from my shoulder, and Laurelei had been keeping a close eye on the guy in the red suit and as soon as he knelt next to her she began to SCREAM again. So THAT will be our picture we get from the event.

CJ was GREAT at being a Santa. We picked a boy off the tree at church, she helped pick out the gift, helped wrap it and here she is proudly delivering the gift. She talks about the boy as if it is a friend she will meet one day.