Here Comes Santa Claus...

We may not have done the best job introducing Louis to the Santa Claus concept. When we were describing the jolly man in red about a month ago, Louis looked at us rather blankly. Then John mentioned that Santa comes down the chimney, and Louis lit up and said, "Like the Grinch!"

That's our boy.

Since then, we have apparently done a bit better with Santa Claus 101. When we went to the train museum yesterday to see the holiday train displays there and we heard that Santa was about to arrive, no one was more excited than Louis.

He craned his neck to see.



He told us he was going to tell Santa that he wanted Legos for Christmas.

Then as "Here Comes Santa Claus" played, Santa and Mrs. Claus pulled in on a train.

For our train-loving boy who is more excited about Christmas all the time, seeing Santa arrive in overalls--did I mention how much he loves overalls?--was the highlight of his Black Friday.

"Hi, Santa!" he called out.

 

It's hard to believe that a year ago this little boy had never even heard of Santa. In fact, I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes as I watched him in his father's arms. Louis has this insatiable capacity for finding joy in life, and he has enthusiastically embraced everything he has encountered in the past almost-year in our family.

After the train pulled in, Louis wanted to meet Santa, so we got in line. Then we started counting the people in front of us. And Louis started squirming. He was hungry, getting tired, and insisting he wanted to meet Santa but not sit for a photo. I wasn't sure we'd make it to the front of the line before Christmas Eve. We decided to leave and try again another time.

Then this morning we met friends and their children at a mall with a wonderful train garden.

Louis and Baba lose track of everything else when they are looking at trains.

After all, there are buttons to press, train cars to count, and details you might miss if you aren't completely focused.

Still, as is often the case, Louis got hungry. He came to me to ask for an ice cream cone, and I, strict mother that I can be, wouldn't let him consume ice cream at 9:30 a.m. Luckily for Louis one of our friends had brought muffins so we could celebrate her son's birthday. So we had a somewhat impromptu and wonderfully fun party.

As the party celebrations were dying down, Santa Claus--the man himself--peered down from the second-floor balcony to wave to the children. Louis dropped everything. This wasn't like the ice cream request, which was negotiable. He had to go see Santa. Now. Right now.

So we went. And since there were only two other people waiting to see Santa, we had no excuse. We got in line.

Now, I must admit that I wasn't particularly optimistic that this would go well. Last year this was as close as Louis came to Santa Claus...

...and I wasn't sure how close we'd actually come this year--or how traumatic that encounter might be. When the photo salespeople asked for our information so we could order photos, I almost laughed.

I didn't get any more optimistic when John told Louis he would get his picture taken with Santa. "No pictures," Louis said, shaking his head.

"That's all right," I said. "Just shake his hand and tell him what you want for Christmas."

Louis thought that sounded fine. He likes shaking hands with important people and Santa is obviously important. He was sitting in a big chair and he had big boots on. And everyone was taking his picture.

When his turn came, Louis walked right up to Santa.

"Hello," said Santa.

"Legos," said Louis and put out his hand to shake Santa's.

That's Louis. Direct and to the point.

Then he climbed onto Santa's lap. That may not sound miraculous, but I can count on one hand the number of laps I've seen Louis sit in besides ours.

But I knew for sure he wouldn't smile for the photographer.

And at first he didn't.

But either Santa (or Louis) must have received my wish list early this year, because when the photographer took his second shot...



...he managed to capture a smile.

I can't say whether Louis will get those Legos, but we'll have to leave an extra cookie for Santa on Christmas Eve.