Santa

You guys. I think this could possibly be the last year all 3 boys make our annual trek to chat with Santa. See the disconnect between Gavin and St. Nick? It's all in the body language, folks (and the eye rolls and references to 'that man dressed up as Santa'). He wasn't too proud to ask Santa for a Nook, however. Just sayin'.

 This year David came along and I stupidly assumed that everyone would be busy traveling by now to bother standing in line for Santa, so we arrived right at 10:00, when Santa arrived. Cue the gong. Bad move. In the past, we have had wild success arriving early with food and being first in line, as we did here, here, and here. And next year, we are going back to that strategy, because when we arrived the line wound all the way around the Santa Holiday display. At 10:00. 

Despite my crankiness and an appointment I had to be at in 45 minutes, and Gavin's slight dismay at standing in line for Santa (because of course we saw several people he knew from school as he stood there in line), we made it!! And when the boys talked with Santa, Merritt got down to business quickly, unrolling the list he wrote for himself and Ian, and insisting Santa read it (sorry people in line behind us! Merry Christmas!).

Ian explaining a few technicalities.

Despite Gavin's new 'this is kinda creepy, mom' attitude about visiting Santa, I have high hopes that the boys will continue to do this for me, as these brothers did. 

And that's my Christmas wish, Santa.