Christmas Happenings

We are, obviously, in full-on Christmas mode around here.  And now that Ada is five, there is a growing collection of things that she counts on each Christmas--traditions that are forming, I guess you could say. 

One of her favorite Christmas events is a visit to Lenox Mall to ride the Pink Pig.  This is one of those events, that as a parent, I just don't get thrilled about.  I don't even fully grasp what a Pink pig train type ride has to do with Christmas?  But, it's fun for the kids, so we do it.  However, because it doesn't seem all that "Christmasy" to me, Scott and I decided to do the Pink Pig before Thanksgiving this year.  Normally the Pink Pig involves insanely long lines, and we predicted that the lines would just not be that long before Thanksgiving.  We were so right.  No lines. at. all.  So, for the Moores, Pink Pig before Thanksgiving from now on.  (it did not make the food court any less crowded, however).

Okay, so Pink Pig--check.

Ada has also requested since last year to visit Santa this year.  Which, we aren't big Santa people, but I don't have a problem with Santa either.  I remember being a kid, Santa is fun, obviously, and magical.  I just mainly want to make sure that my kids look back and know that Santa was in no way the focus of Christmas. But, I do like the classic kids with Santa picture, etc. etc.  I tell all of this to set up the insanely long line we stood in today to see Santa, because my heart isn't really in Santa anyway, and to then stand in line for two and a half hours to see him, well Scott and I didn't have the best attitudes.  But we promised Ada that we could do it, and it was one of those situations that once you have stood there for an hour, you aren't quitting...you know what I mean?  Plus, the dad behind us  was also feeling about as enthusiastic about the whole situation as Scott and I were feeling, except he had a wife on bed rest, who is about to give birth to their fourth daughter, so we felt like we were all in this thing together, even though the guy was a stranger to us, before the Santa line.  I know that is a lot of information to give you about the Santa line, but Scott and I have looked at each other all day and said in disbelief, "we stood in line for two and half hours to see Santa."  But, the kids loved it, and they had fun during the wait, running around and playing at our town's square, while Scott and I switched out the job of waiting in line, and there was free hot chocolate, and it was Christmasy, in it's own, small town feeling kind of way.  Oh, and it was 70 degrees.  We were so hot while we waited to see Santa.

But, we got the picture.  The classic Santa's lap picture.

The insanely long line that moved so slowly.  Can you find Scott?  He's got a beard.  And see the soon-to-be fourth time dad behind him?  Our new friend. 

 Playing under the giant ornaments while we wait.

And finally, we see Santa.  Do you see John's nervous face?  Still when Santa asked, he said he wanted Buzz for Christmas, never taking his finger out of his mouth.

Okay, finally, we were done with Santa, and it was Christmas tree time.  Scott and I were having to "pray about our attitudes" a lot at this point, if you know what I mean ;)

But we got the Christmas tree, with a tired, past his nap time John in tow.

We are Home Depot tree buyers, fyi ;)

So, there you go.  Christmas is underway.  The house is decorated (which required a return trip to Home Depot because we bought the worst garland in the history of garlands, but they let us exchange it and throw the old garland into the Christmas tree scraps), and we survived the longest day of Christmas "fun" ever.