"Two-and-half shopping days left before Christmas? No probem. We don't warm up the credit cards until December 24th, when the shopping's easy because everything's gone. One of us did have a bad shopping experience once. Years ago before Tickle Me Elmo, that year's "Tickle Me Elmo" were the Batman toys. We had word that a local discount store got a new shipment in and would be selling them in the morning. Encourarged by my wife's sharp elbows to my ribs, I got up early on a Saturday and went to the store to wait in line for it to open. I was there an hour early and was one of the first in line.

"The hour slowly ticked away and by the time the store was ready to open, there were 50 of us, anxious to grab a Batcave or Batmobile so that our little Johnnys wouldn't be disappointed on Christmas morning. We shifted nervously from foot to foot, like racehorses limbering up for a run. One woman quietly slipped off her pumps and put on a pair of Reeboks. We made quiet jokes about the foolishness of the situation, but there was an air of desperation about us. Smalls beads of sweat appeared on our foreheads. Some lit cigarettes. A guy in the back of the line started playing a slow dirge on a harmonica...."

Got any tales of your own?

My daughter is 21 months, and I decided I want to have her picture taken with Santa. This is something we did last year when she was 9 months old, and something, as a parent, I have decided to do every year.

Last year wasn't too bad. She was not mobile yet, so standing in line for 2 hours was bearable. And as she was not completely aware of her surroundings, she did not realize it when I put her in Santa's lap, at least initially. We were able to snap the picture before she starting wailing. So, based on that experience, I thought this time would be a piece of cake.

Wrong.

My little girl has been walking around the house saying "Santa Clause" and "Ho Ho Ho", so I am thinking this will be good. I go to the mall on my lunch, to beat the crowd, which I do. There are only two people in front of me, and Emma keeps saying "Ho Ho Ho", to the delight of everyone. Of course, Santa is some 15 year old kid in a beard and suit too big for him.

I pick Emma up to put her in Santa's lap, and she suddenly puts the Vulcan Death Grip on me and begins to wail in terror, like I had taken away her favorite barney video or something! I finally peel her fingers from my neck, plop her into Santa's lap, and tell them to take the pictures. I ended up paying $20 bucks for a picture of my daughter screaming bloody murder into Santa's ear. Ahhh, the joys of parenting.

However, I did take her for a ride on the merry-go-round and was forgiven.

;)

Heh -- funny story. My kids always cooperated for Santa. However, my wife's dad used to like to dress up as Santa at his house, and when my first-born son was still a little tyke (2-3 years old; he's 15 now), his grandfather did his Santa Claus thing.

All's well. My father-in-law enjoys being Santa, as do we all. After he's done, the grandfather goes into the living room to do a quick change out of the Santa suit. They have one of those circular room layouts where you can go from the family room to living room to dining room to kitchen and back to family room again.

Anyway, my father-in-law goes in there to change quickly and pop back out so my son can tell him about seeing Santa. We're all sitting around gabbing, and no pays attention to my son, who promptly toddles off after "Santa". My father-in-law is in the midst of changing when he sees my son toddle in. He's aghast! He doesn't want his cover blown, so he runs out of the living room.

So we're sitting in the family room and suddenly we see a half-dressed Santa come racing through the room followed a few seconds later by my son. Needless to say, that's been a family legend for years now. :)

Micky's story my kid and Santa.

http://my.fotolinks.com/index.cfm?type=albumview_photo&albumID=41423&photoID=49590

Santa is a pro! Total kid meltdown, and Santa looks so calm & happy he may as well have a sleeping baby in his arms.

"Santa is a pro! Total kid meltdown, and Santa looks so calm & happy he may as well have a sleeping baby in his arms."

Heh -- either that or the guy has his hearing aid turned off.