Santa

Today we went to see Santa, as you can see above! Madison dressed very nicely and was so excited to see him as usual. I mean, look at her! She's clasping her hands and just giddy. At one point when she was asked what she wanted for Christmas, she got all shy and didn't want to say. We told her this morning that we might see Santa, and she was pumped. In fact, the moment we stepped into the mall, Madison couldn't stay still! She was jumping up and down and just so happy to see him sitting there, waiting for us.

This year, we went to Lakeshore Mall, where the Santa was very nice. Just as important, his little elf helpers were much nicer than the ones at the Mall of Georgia - you just can't hire good elves anymore, I tell ya!

Madison never stopped smiling. Santa was very kind, and everyone was thrilled to see her reaction - she was so very, very happy. Daddy was allowed to take a picture or two from his camera - which is what you see above. But the photo they took for us with their camera was also a good one, I feel. It's below. Last year, I felt grateful I took my own camera along or I wouldn't have gotten a decent photo with Santa. It's those elves again! The elves here were very nice and wanted to get the photo just right - not that Madison made it difficult.

Anyway, she loved her time with Santa. There was no line whatsoever, and no pressure to move on. It was just she and Santa, shooting the breeze there in the mall. He gave her a candy cane and a some other items, but it didn't matter: she was with Santa and all was right with the world.

Later, we went on the carousel a few times and did some shopping - actually, lots of shopping. We're doing shopping for the Christmas play and for the new KidPak series: lots going on. We went to a costume shop, the bank, the dump - and about three different Targets before giving up on finding a copy of "Fantasia" on Blu Ray. Note to Target: whassup with that? Three Targets and every one is all out of a brand new release? And yet you have twenty-five copies of SATC2?

We did find our movies at Best Buy, and Madison was happy to see Mickey Mouse on the cover. She enchanted everyone everywhere she went today - even at Cracker Barrel, where we all ate a nice hearty meal. Now there's a great place to go: a fire roaring in the fireplace, stockings hung by the chimney with care, and a turkey and dressing dinner that fills your tummy just right. Mommy calls it comfort food, and I think she's right on the money. Great atmosphere there, and perfect for a chilly night like tonight.

On the way home, we drove by a few special neighborhoods that had all sorts of Christmas lights. One in particular in Oakwood actually has a lawn with lights synchronized to music from a local signal radio station! We sat in a parking lot and watched the lights dance for a few minutes, as the Tran-Siberian Orchestra played on the car radio. Madison loves the lights, and there were so many in Oakwood and Flowery Branch. And there are plenty right here in our new neighborhood as well. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Just in case you need further proof, take a look at this photo below:

Ho, ho, ho!