Visit To Santa

Evan and I aren't in the Christmas spirit.  We're doing our best, watching Christmas movies (Evan considers Die Hard a Christmas movie.  It's amazing that even after watching Bruce Willis walk on broken glass in his bare feet I don't feel in the Christmas mood!) we went to look at the Christmas Lights in Monument park, we've decorated the house, the tree, the lights are outside.  Our shopping is done, gifts are wrapped, the advent calendars are nearing the end, but for some reason it just doesn't FEEL like Christmas.  In the past we've done lots of Christmas activities, the Zoo's Breakfast with Santa, the McKinley Museum's Christmas event, Christmas at Hoover Farm--it seemed like every weekend we were doing something Christmasy.  But this year we didn't do any of that.  A big part of it is wrestling, which takes up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night and all day Sunday.  It's also because we're now 6, which makes something like going to the Akron Zoo's Breakfast with Santa unreasonably expensive, whereas before it was pricey, but manageable.  In veering away from Holiday activities, we've also lost the opportunity to visit with Santa. So last night, for the first time, we took the kids to the mall to see Santa.
I had heard that it was expensive to go, and it WAS kind of a lot for a picture (we got the cheapest package, 2 4x6s for $21) but at least the kids got to see Santa and tell him what they wanted.  Well, 3 of them did.  I now have a $21 photo with only 3 of my kids in it. Can you guess which kid freaked out and wouldn't go near Santa?  I'll give you a hint, it's also the kid that talks constantly about Santa bringing him a new Buzz and Woody. (Photo below explaining why he needs a new Woody.)

I tried to force him into the picture, I have one from last year with a blurry Vince screaming and running away as we snapped the pic, but he wasn't having it.  There was a line and I didn't want to be THAT mom, so I just let it go, but I'm disappointed that I don't have him in the photo.  I'm also kind of disappointed I only have a paper copy.  I like to do digital photo books (I think they're greener than scrapbooks--less paper used) and now I'll just have a picture of them to put out.  It's actually kind of ironic since I got a $10 Shutterfly gift card with my photo purchase.  But we had the experience.  The kids got to see Santa and Caden didn't say anything about him not being real.  So that's a plus too!  I'm hoping that I may even get another full year out of him still believing.  I'm still not in the Christmas mood, even though we watched A Muppet Christmas Carol last night with the kids, but I still have cookies to bake and a school Holiday party to do tomorrow.  Maybe being in the presence of 27 5 year olds that are excited for Christmas will rub off.  Or not.  Maybe it won't hit me until Christmas morning when I get to see the look on my kids' faces.   When they see that Santa brought Woody-With-A-Head.