Santa Claus

Tis' the season for mall Santas and helper elves.  The Christmas cards have been made and sent (and are very cute, I must say.  I am very proud of those!).  The tree is up (yes, on the table), and presents have begun to make their way underneath.  The question now is, where is Baby's picture with Santa?

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about Baby getting a picture with Santa.

We passed a mall Santa just this past weekend.  Santa was taking a break, but I got a chance to peek at the prices.  Hello, money maker!  Wanna make a load of cash this holiday season?  Dress up as Santa and take pictures with kids on your lap.  Guaranteed to make a fortune, I promise.  Anyway, the prices were ridiculous and they wouldn't let you take pictures with your own camera.  We moved on.

But what if the prices were cheaper?  Would I plop an unsuspecting Baby on the lap of some guy dressed in red?  Who has already had dozens of other germ-infested children in that same location, breathing their spittle onto his beard?  (I wonder if mall Santas get really sick after Christmas)  I mean, think of the germs!  Baby already gets sick plenty of times on her own.  I don't think I'm too overprotective, but I am pretty diligent at keeping her away from other sickos, yet she still manages to pick up the germs.  I don't know if I'd want her exposed to all that on Santa's lap.

Okay, so what if Santa was in a antibacterial suit, and I could take my own pictures?  Would I then place Baby on the knee of an older gentleman?  It's kind of weird when you think about it.  Handing Baby off to a stranger that she doesn't know.  I don't hand her off to friends and family until I know she is comfortable with them.  Why would I change my rules to have her sit on someone else's lap? 

I know some people enjoy and laugh over the pictures of the crying kids on Santa's lap. I don't think I can handle that.  The poor child!  If Baby looked at me with pitiful eyes and burst into tears on Santa's lap, I might burst into tears too.

I think the Santa pictures will just have to wait until she is asking to go sit on Santa's lap.  Until then, we can watch all the other parents kids make their own memories.