A Visit With Santa (2013)

Our Christmas festivities wouldn't be complete without a picture with good Old Saint Nick.

We set out to find Santa on Sunday. Sydna and Nathan stayed home. I'm guessing they're "too cool" to take pictures with him. Lame!

While I stood in line {which happened to be quite a long line} I had Jacob entertain Riley. They walked around the store, listened to a small orchestra playing Christmas music, had a snack, watched a bit of the Polar Express and colored. He behaved himself so well.

I was a little nervous that he would freak out again like he did last year. To my surprise he didn't. When he first saw him he stopped walking and took a few steps back. Santa noticed that Riley was a bit nervous and so he began talking to him and offered him a candy cane. That did it. He willingly walked right up to him. Jacob sat him on Santa's lap and he was immediately asked several questions. Although Riley didn't really make much eye contact he did answer every single question he was asked and at one point Santa asked him, "Will you look at me?" and Riley did. There was one answer Riley gave that had us laughing. Santa asked him, "What do you want for Christmas?" and Riley replied, "Christmas presents". Isn't that the cutest innocent response ever?! But then he said, "cars, puzzles and toys". My boy!! I love him!

He said bye to Santa and we left ... and as we were walking away Riley turned back and said, bye Santa, once more.

I wish Santa would have asked me if it was alright to give him a candy cane. I don't let Riley have hard or chewy candy so when he fell asleep in the car I took it away and hid it. I made up for it and bought candy cane joe joe's from Trader Joe's. He was happy.


At our house we do Santa. Saint Nicholas was very real and it is from his good deeds to help children and those in need that we participate and continue to carry on this Santa tradition with our own family {we just don't buy into all the stuff that Saint Nicholas didn't do}. I don't really go as far as saying he's gonna come down the chimney to leave presents because that was an invention created by the author who wrote The Night Before Christmas. I do let my children believe in some magic though. My kids know the real meaning of Christmas so I'm not worried. I do let them have fun in believing in Santa. My kids outgrew it on their own. Santa is all about giving ... that's it, and that's a wonderful thing to do and to believe in.

I found a bit of information about Saint Nicholas if you care to read on,
just click on the link: History of Santa Claus