Santa Day and the childhood joy of it all

So we're still on cloud 9 because of Ben and his first sentence this week. It was truly just an awe inspiring moment. It's been such a completely insane time prepping for the holidays but we're working on it and taking it as it comes.

Yesterday with Daddy not working and the little 3 kids home with us we decided to wash everyone and run out to the mall to see if there was any chance at all of seeing Santa. We've been talking to Ben about Santa quite a bit and I think he gets the whole concept at this point. So off we raced on a very tight time schedule since the kids had half-day at school and picking up would be an all afternoon event with kids coming home from 3 different schools (only not 4 because Patch decided he really wanted to stay home so I said what the heck and let him -- which worked out well for the Santa photo thing as it turns out.). So off we went all bundled up because it was truly just FRIGID cold here yesterday and we were on our way. We didn't say a word to the kids about Santa, just in case the line was too long and we didn't have time to wait, but we hoped.

We arrived and discovered that Santa had moved! EEEK! So we found Santa and much to our complete amazement there was NOBODY in line. NOBODY at all!! WOW! So we got everyone's coats off and flattened down as much fly-away hair as we could and they sat with Santa. Patch was very excited but... ya know he's six now, not a little baby anymore, so he played it cool and very calmly told Santa exactly what he wanted for Christmas (in our house Santa only brings ONE present). Then Ben, but Ben was so beside himself with excitement and joy that he was literally speechless! He couldn't talk, he couldn't even think... he just kept looking into Santa's face with this huge smile and joy obviously written across his little face. Santa asked him if maybe he wanted a train and Daddy said "Ben LOVES trains! How did you know?" Well OF COURSE Santa knew what Ben likes... he's Santa after all :) We told Santa that Kitten would like a dolly please and he said okay. Kit was a little uncertain about all this. She IS "Dangergirl 2.0" so she didn't cry or even fuss but she did look quite concerned the whole time sitting on Santa's lap. She's so funny that little Kitten of ours. So the mall folks took some pics, I took a few pics and Santa gave them little Santa Claus notepads. We got our pics and were off.

After we left Ben was just... I don't know... star struck maybe? He kept pointing back at Santa and saying "Danta!!!! DANTA!!!!" and seemed amazed that he had gotten to sit in his lap. It was seriously just the sweetest thing ever. I am SO glad we took him because I didn't know he would make the connection so clearly and he was obviously so impressed and so overwhelmed and just filled with joy. It was one of those great Mommy moments where you can pat yourself on the back and really say "I did a good job" and mean it.

We went to the fountain where the kids all threw pennies in and thought that was about the coolest thing ever. Kit had an absolute blast just walking around and looking into the fountain and holding on to her penny as if her very life depended on it -- despite the efforts of her two older brothers to convince her to give THEM her penny so they could throw it in. We let them wander and play for a bit and they had a lot of fun. Who knew a mall fountain could be so entertaining? It was time then so we got a little bag of M&M's for the kids to share for being so good and once more out into the frigid air to head home in hopes of getting there in time to get Emi off the bus (we were on time thank heavens!). I am just so glad we made it out there and the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. It made the boys day.

Few more pics to share... this is one of my pics of the kids sitting with Santa. I just absolutely love the looks on the boys faces - they are SO happy to be with Santa... child joy.... is there anything more beautiful? Kit looks a little concerned and unsure here, but she's holding her own. She didn't even fuss at all which was nice... now she wasn't showing us any of her big huge smiles with dimples, but she did okay I think.


Then this one pic of Kit at the fountain. I took LOTS of pics but they were either blurry from kids running or they were blocking each other so I got this one of just Kit. She LOVES new places and seeing new things and being out and about. She is so much like Emi in that way. It just makes her happy.

So.... ON WITH CHRISTMAS!!!!!