Sketchy Santa

This Christmas is only the second year that we've gone to visit Santa Claus.  Ruby's first Christmas when she was about 6 months old, Steve and I were both working and just didn't muster up the energy to tackle the weekend crowds at Union Square.  By the time of Ruby's second Christmas, she was already afflicted with deep-seated stranger anxiety, and handing her off to a large, hairy man in a red suit seemed like a special kind of torture.  Last year on Ruby's third Christmas, we finally visited Santa at Macy's in Union Square.  We went during the week when there were no lines with Ruby's BFF, Eva.  Not surprisingly, Ruby would not sit on Santa's lap, but we still got a pretty good picture with Ruby on my lap.

This year, we visited Santa with Ruby's preschool friend Sydney.  There are two Santa Clauses in Union Square, one at Macy's and one down the street in the Westfield Mall.  After some debate, we decided to try out the Westfield Santa this year as he had received some favorable reviews from other parents.  While this Santa did look very authentic and gets an A+ on facial hair, he gets a D- on jolliness.  I almost felt like I was in a movie with the quintessential surly, move-it-along-dumb-kids type of Santa.  Lucy didn't mind at all and sat on him like he was a couch, but Ruby was quite off-put and refused to even stand next to him.  So Santa instructed me to sit on his lap and put Ruby on my lap, which was all very awkward.  The sketchy part is that in all the pictures with Sydney and her little brother, this Santa's expression was downright melancholy, despite the angelic smiles of Sydney and Noble.  However, in the photo where he had insisted I sit on his lap, he looks strangely pleased.

Dissatisfied with our Santa experience, we all decided to walk down the street to Macy's to visit Santa #2.  Fortunately the kids are not at the age to be too confused by this.  The Macy's Santa was much nicer, so Ruby deigned to stand next to him but still refused to smile despite much cajoling.

Merry Christmas everyone!