The Rite of Passage

Tis the Season, friends. The Season of love and the Season of giving. It's a season of warmth when it's cold and cinnamon spices tickling your nose and tongue. It's the sights of ever greens laced with candlelight while the angels sing in the distance. It's a reminder of hope and compassion that fills the heart with joy. It's also a season of completely horrifying your child with a large bearded man wearing deep red crushed velvet.

Hayden was a little..."unsure" this year. We took him to Bass Pro shops Santa's Wonderland, the same place he saw Santa last year. It wasn't the breakdown-scream-crying-fit I hoped for (please don't think I'm a bad mom...it's a rite of passage!!!) but I saw the face of concern slowly emerge as we approached Santa. The one that says, "Hey, Mom. Put me in that man's lap and I will scream. You will regret this." Only moments before he had been distracted by the toy train circling in and out of the miniature sized mountain hauling it's load of winter logs and coal to little plastic cabins. That sight was all good and dandy because Hayden loves the outdoors and things that move. He's such a boy. It was quite a visual playground. I'm pretty sure Hayden wanted to be the conductor. But after the family in front of us had their turn with Santa, we began to move away from the train and towards to "Big Man". Hayden's eyes instantly widened. The grip he had on my shirt was one I had never felt before. Of course, as we approached Santa, Adam and I instantly bust into voices that were 3 octaves higher than our normal range. If we had a recording I can't imagine how annoying we must have sounded.

"Look Hayden!!! It's SAN-TAAA!!!"

"Hayden, are you EXCITED???"

"HI SANTA!! YAY!!"

Nothing from this kid. Just a look of terror. I wasn't sure how I was going to declaw him from my shirt. So we walked up and chit chatted with Santa for a bit. Santa did his Ho Ho Ho and Hayden looked at me like "Really Mom, you're crazy." But, in Hayden fashion, he eventually caved. From the side of Santa's chair, the "Big Man" reached in and pulled out of his over sized stocking something crinkly. Oh Candy Cane. Sweet sweet Candy Cane. Not even my kid can resist you. Hayden slowly reached for the peace treaty from Santa and that's when the swift exchange from Mommy to Santa occurred.

After this was a blurry 10 seconds in which an elf jingled sleigh bells, Mom and Dad jumped up and down saying "Over here Hayden!!", and the flash of a bulb went off blinding all of us instantly. Luckily, the results weren't half bad other than the look of concern on Hayden's face. But, we have a Santa picture.

Why do we submit our children to this? I don't know, but I'lll continue to do it EVERY year.

After all, tis the Season.