On Many Subjects

My #2 son, Clover and me got the two grandchildren - the Divine Miss M and the New Guy - all dressed up to visit Santa. We decided to go early in the season so the lines would be much, much, shorter. And they were.

Before the event, we discussed Christmas with the Divine Miss M and she was very excited about the prospect of trees and presents. She even wanted to visit Santa. They were all at my apartment and I asked if they had shown Miss M a picture of Santa and they had not, so we pulled up a picture of him on the computer to let her see. Immediately the exitation turned into wariness. She did not want to sit on Santa's lap.

But, intrepid parents and grandparent, we loaded up the car and drove to the mall, anyway. When we frist walked into "Polar Express" theme area, she was happy. The figures and the "snow" falling was a big hit.

Then...

She. Saw. Santa.

Miss M grabbed her Grammie (that's me) and said, "No!" Santa was perched on a big purple chair with the New Guy alread in his arms, and both looked happy and content. Miss M still didn't any part of the entire ordeal and even bribery of promises that she could go to the "Hello Kitty Store" (Sanrio) didn't encourage her to sit on Santa's lap.

So, her record is perfect. Three Christmases in a row, she was upset by Santa Claus.

On the way to Sanrio, she annouced, "I don't like Christmas."

Still, here is the picture of the New Guy with Santa: