A Santa visit is something that stays with us forever. I’ll never forget visiting Santa as a kid. My mom would dress us all up. We’d trek to the mall and wait for HOURS to get (maybe) 10 minutes with Santa. I would (literally) have my list all geared up and ready to share with him, hoping and praying that I would get at least one thing on my list. The magic of Santa always got me… it still gets me and it’s something I just love giving to my own family.
Bringing William back in 2004 to his first Santa visit will always be a wonderful memory to me. I was positive he would be terrified of Santa, so I was geared up to be in the photo with him. I dressed him up in a perfect little outfit and really was excited to start off my own tradition! Believe it or not, William was PERFECT. He loved meeting Santa at 3 months old. He didn’t cry. He didn’t fuss. He was an angel and even smiled for the photo!
That photo always makes me smile.
So… literally, for the last 13 years, we’ve visited Santa. Throughout the years there’s been tears and screaming and scared little faces. Throughout the years there’s been delight and whimsy and excitement. Throughout the years we’ve heard the kids asking for “another baby” to a “puppy” to “I just want all the toys!” Every single year (I swear) we hear something new that we didn’t know someone wanted from Santa! The magic of Santa is not lost on my kids, even the ones who have become handy helpers for younger siblings in keeping the magic alive!
A Santa Visit Changes but the Magic is Still There
This year was bittersweet for me. There weren’t any tears. There weren’t any screams. There was just delight and happiness, which is a good thing… but it’s also apparent that the kids are getting older.
The boys were terrific with Victoria, helping her and getting her super excited to see the “big guy!”
It was adorable watching them give Victoria time to tell Santa what she wanted and give her the attention. I love watching them with her, it’s always adorable to see!
The best was when Santa asked who they thought would be on the naughty list … they all (except Ben!) pointed at BEN!
But truly, it’s the magic of the Santa visit that always gets me. It’s a tradition that I hope my kids will do with each other throughout their lives until they have kids of their own! I just love the kick off to Christmas with a Santa visit!
