It's Gotta Be the Beard.

The toddler got to see Santa today!

After talking it over last night we decided that it was worth forcing our way through mall crowds to see Santa, so I looked up the mall's website and found Santa's schedule. At 10 am today all of us, including Daddy, headed off to initiate the toddler into the great tradition.

Surprisingly the mall wasn't too packed. We only had to stand in line for Santa about 45 minutes. Of course the display we were circling around was shoulder high to an adult, and the toddler desperately wanted to see the moving figures of elves and such, so Mommy and Daddy took turns holding her up high enough to watch.

It worked well, though, keeping her entertained until the very end of the wait. As the last few children ahead of her were let through the gate to see Santa, she kept ducking under the gate and trying to follow, wanting to check things out for herself. Finally we were allowed in and tried to escort her up to Santa’s great chair.

Naturally, at this point she panicked, complete with tears, clinging to Daddy and a chorus of, "No, no, no!" She was having absolutely nothing to do with Santa in any way, shape or form. We did manage to coax her into letting him give her a McGruff coloring book, but that was it.

She stayed upset until we got to the mall Christmas train, which she was most excited to get to ride with Daddy. It was so cute to watch her going around and around, cuddled next to Daddy and waving to me every time she passed. I couldn’t hear her, but I could see her lips shaping, "Bye-bye, Mommy, bye-bye!"