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Well, we finally did it.  We went to visit Santa today at the mall to get Princess Tater Tot’s picture taken with him.  We arrived 45 minutes after Santa got there and, surprisingly, the line wasn’t that bad.  Of course it took a long time because of the tears and lack of smiles that tend to happen with the really little ones on Santa’s lap.  There were toys a-squeaking and parents acting ridiculous to get their kids to smile.  It was kinda funny until I realized that I would be one of those ridiculous-acting fools in just a minute.

We finally made it up to the front of the line and Santa’s Helper asks me which package I am planning on getting.  Well, seeing as you are gouging me for the rest of my Christmas cash I guess I will take the package that has only 4 pictures for $18.  Holy cow!  I can scan the sucker in and make a gazillion copies for the amount they’re charging!  But I order 4 so that The Daddy can take one to the classroom, we can have one at home, and each set of grandparents can have one, too without any extra work for The Mommy.

In the back of my mind I think “I wonder if she’s going to scream and throw a fit?”  I can just see it now.  I sit her on Santa’s lap and she immediately looks at me like “Why are you giving me to this huge, hairy man?”  Luckily that did NOT happen.  She looked up at him with a smile like “Wow!  Look at you!  You’re hairy” and then looked at the camera.  She didn’t smile for the first two pictures but once Mommy started dancing around like a crazed idiot (or acting like she usually does–either description works), she smiled and *poof*!  We were done!

I paid my exhorbitant fee and we went on our merry way.  Hallelujah!  The first Santa pictures are done and without permanent emotional damage that we know of!  It was getting close to nap time so we got a move on out of there (after The Mommy lingered at a few store doorways).  Once home, I rocked her as usual but this sneaky little girl realized that Mommy’s hair wasn’t in a ponytail like it usually is (just in case I needed to be in the Santa picture so Tater wouldn’t cry), picked up a strand and yanked as hard as her little arms would!  Ouch!  Oooh!  That’s fun!  Let’s do it again!  Ouch!  Grrrr…  Long story short, Tater skipped her afternoon nap today despite The Mommy’s best efforts.  Oh well…she wins again.