YES!!!

It's taken me 4 years, but I finally got a picture of one of my kids smiling with Santa.

I have several years worth of crying, trying-to-get-away pictures, and a baby-who-doesn't-know-what-the-heck-is-going-on picture.

Today, we saw Santa walk by in Wal-mart, and one of the employees told us they were taking pictures in the garden center. So I hopefully asked the kids if they wanted to go see him. Both immediately said no. I suggested that we wouldn't have to talk to him...they could just look. They agreed that would be okay. So we drove the basket over and they looked. I hopefully asked if they wanted to get out. No. However, they did notice a plate of cookies. Noah was willing to get out of the basket and talk to Mrs. Claus in exchange for a cookie. Sarah did too--but only if I held her hand. Then they both immediately wanted back in the basket. I asked if they wanted to wave at Santa, which they did. They were happy with cookies and waving, so I figured that was the best we were going to get.

Halfway across the store, Sarah says "Santa is a nice man. I wouldn't be too shy to talk to him now." I asked if she wanted to go back and see him again to talk to him. Yes. I thought we'd probably end up 'seeing' him and being shy again, but hope springs eternal and all that... We drove back over to the garden center. I got her out of the basket.

Lo, and behold, she went right over and climbed up on Santa's lap and gave him a big hug. He asked what she wanted for Christmas, and she said, "I just want a big surprise." He said he would make sure to have a big surprise just for her. She affirmed she'd been good all year, the little fibber. And they took a picture (printed in the photo department which we picked up after shopping) and gave her a candy cane.

It would be too much to hope that Noah would follow suit after seeing her do it. I'm just happy with my picture. Hooray for the Coca-Cola-sponsored Santa at Wal-mart! Gotta love the throne of soda can boxes. Not that I'm complaining; my grandpa was a Coca-Cola Santa for years when I was little.