Meeting America's Most Wanted Santa

For weeks now all I've been talking about is taking Lucy to see Santa. I've been planning what she was going to wear, what time of the day we should go, hair bow or no hair bow? We decided last minute to visit Santa after going out to the Chinese buffet. My parents were already at the mall doing some Christmas shopping so I had them check out the length of the line. I knew if we had to wait in a long line that Lucy (and Justin) would climbing the walls by the time we got to Santa. I called my parents, and they gave me the go ahead to bring Lucy to see Santa. I had put on her "I Love Santa" shirt before we went to dinner just in case Lucy got to meet the jolly man her shirt praised. While we were in line I kept putting in her hair bow, but lately she has been on a big kick of pulling it out the second I put it in. I tried one last time when it was our turn, but of course, it came right back out. I plopped her down on Santa's lap and about 5 seconds later after it had sunk in who she was with, the wailing started. Not just a frown, some whimpers, and reaching for me that I had anticipated. Nope, all out wailing. Weren't they prepared to snap the picture in the first 5 seconds before she realized she was in the lap of a big jolly old man or in her eyes, someone she saw on America's Most Wanted? No reassuring could have saved the experienced. I grabbed her back and looked nervously at the elf helpers. I glanced at the screen and saw they had only taken one picture during what felt like eternity that I let her sit on his lap. Normally they would take 3 for you to choose the best one. I didn't know if I should give her back to Santa to let him try some Christmas magic to get her to warm up and take 2 more shots, or gracefully exit Santa Land and never look back. The elves encouraged me to try again even though Lucy hadn't stopped crying. After maybe 30 seconds I took her back and looked at the screen. The same one shot was still on the screen! What are these elves doing? I know she's crying but maybe if you take enough shots we could pick one between wails where her expression could be passed off as happy, or at least neutral about the idea. Nope. However, the elves did remind me that I wasn't obligated to purchase the picture and that they would be there until Christmas Eve if we wanted to try again. I tried not to laugh in their face. Try again?! Unless Lucy ages a year or two before Christmas Eve, I'm pretty sure her reaction will be the same. For Lucy's sake (and mine) I purchased the picture, chuckled at the irony between her shirt and her face, and quietly exited Santa Land. Despite the arm-pit-sweating experience, the picture makes me smile whenever I see it :) Good to know the hair bow wasn't going to make or break the picture.

"My shirt lies. My face does not."