Santa Called!

Picture with Santa, 2014

I had this plan to take the Leatherkids to see Santa Claus every year.  They'd sit in his lap, clearly and cutely articulate what they wanted for Christmas and then smile big for a picture that I'd place over the previous year's picture in a wintery frame dedicated to share my kids' Christmas joy with everyone who visited our house during the holiday season.  Every year this would happen.

Yeah, right.  If I've learned one thing about kids, it's that things rarely actually go as planned.  Take last year's picture (left) as an example.  One can imagine the events that led up to this gem.  Now, Dan and I certainly didn't plan on being in the picture, nor did we plan on Ella being completely and utterly terrified of Santa.  Santa peering and laughing at Ella while Cal sits on his lap as if nothing unusual or ridiculous is going on as the picture is snapped makes me laugh every time I look at it.  Amusing? Yes. Worth the $20 we paid for it?  Not so much.

This year, I'll admit, the idea that we'd once again pay Santa an in-person visit did cross my mind.  I even verbalized it, suggesting that we go to Bass Pro Shop for this year's photo op a Saturday ago -- it'd be free if we donated a toy.  Thankfully, Cal got an invitation for a play date that derailed even the loosest of plans; and we haven't yet made it to the velvetty red lap of the jovial gentleman nor do I now expect we will.

Truth be told, I'm glad.  I felt like I was the only one in this family even remotely interested in the sitting-in-Santa's-lap tradition, and I think that was really only because that's what kids are supposed to do.  Cal couldn't care less but cooperates if that's what we're doing.  Ella is probably still terrified of the man.  The wait would surely be long, creating an environment prime for the Leatherkids acting up -- running around, bumping into people, climbing on things, whining, yelling -- and this would get on Dan's nerves to no end.  And I would be watching it all happen and trying to keep everyone happy because it was my idea in the first place yet inside wanting to just explode and run away from the scene altogether.

Thursday was Cal's 7th birthday.  We went to a restaurant of his choice for dinner and then to Yogurt Beach for a birthday dessert.  We were home for a few minutes when the phone rang and the phone announced the number, unfamiliar to us, that was calling.  Ordinarily, if we don't recognize a phone number, we don't answer the phone.  But something clicked in my head, and I told Ella to run and get it.  I had a feeling I knew who was calling despite not being familiar with the number.

She picked it up, "Hello?"  I could hear a voice on the other end.  A deep man's voice.  I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I knew who it was.  I remembered at that moment having arranged for this call.  It was Santa.  I grabbed the phone from Ella and put it on speaker so we could all hear him.

He first asked for Cal, so I handed the phone to Cal who's expression told us he was a bit shocked at what was happening. Santa knew that Cal is in first grade and the school he goes to.  He asked Cal what he wanted for Christmas and when Cal froze, unable to answer, Santa threw out a couple of ideas... Pokemon Cards?  Baseball Cards?  Cal's eyes lit up, and he wondered how Santa knew this. I don't recall Santa's exact response, but it was some flavor of the lines from "Santa Clause is Coming to Town."

Santa then asked if Ella was there, so Cal handed the phone to Ella. Santa went through a similiar spiel, asking her hold old she is now and stating the school she goes to.  When asked what she might want for Christmas, Ella also froze; so Santa through out a couple of ideas... maybe a Rapunzel doll or an Ariel doll?  Ella smiled from ear to ear.  He also asked Ella if she could do something for him, and that was to leave a couple of cookies for him on Christmas Eve. Ella said she would.

Santa closed by saying that he'd better get going, that there was still a lot to do and that he was already starting to load up the sleigh.  He'd see them... well, not see them but pay a visit to their house on Christmas, which math-loving Cal of course declared was 15 days away.

It was great.  This call, while surely pretty standard, was interactive and perfect for the Leatherkids.  They were engaged and genuinely happy to be talking with Santa, a complete 180 from how they feel about sitting in his lap.  I think I may have found a nice alternative to paying a visit to Santa to sit in his lap and have a picture taken with him.  Sure, I don't have a physical memory of it; but the kids thoroughly enjoyed the call and I know will remember it for years to come.  And isn't that what's important?