Yeah, so, we took the Spawn to see Santa on Sunday.
Little kids, especially ones as young as Calvin, don’t really like Santa. They think he’s a big, red, creepy stranger, and they usually start crying the second they are placed on Santa’s lap. I understand. If I was forced to sit on some big, red, creepy stranger’s lap for a photo op I might cry, too.
At first, I wasn’t loving the idea of taking The Boy to see Santa. I didn’t want to wait in a long line in a shopping mall and pay money to get a photo of my baby crying on a stranger’s lap. We could do that for free in the Tenderloin, and there’s no wait. I felt like we could spend a weekend afternoon doing something more fun.
But mighty, mighty good man David was into it and the more traditional part of me couldn’t resist. All kids go to see Santa. Then David came up with the brilliant idea that we go with our good buddies Jess, Jeff and their son, Henry, who is about six months older than Calvin. Sold! Jess and Jeff suggested we go to see Santa in their hood in Albany. So, we grabbed some lunch at Little Star (yep, there’s a Little Star in Albany), and we had some booze to mentally prepare ourselves. Turns out going to see Santa was pretty awesome: There was no line, and it was free. Seriously. Free! We didn’t have to pay for the photo.
It went way better than I thought it would, and we got to spend the day with our good buddies. The Boy didn’t cry at all, and we got a pretty cute photo. Check it and see:
Calvin: I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
Santa Claus: You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
Other things that happened this weekend … We went to Pier 39 for our annual Tourist Day with Michelle, Tony and the girls. We ate our clam chowder in a bread bowl, tried on silly hats and ended the evening with a bucket of doughnuts. I wish every evening ended with a bucket of doughnuts.
December 17, 2012 at 1:53 pm
That pic of David is kind of creepy; sort of Dickensesque undertaker look. “Don’t tell anyone that I’ve got a dead body in this sack.”
December 17, 2012 at 5:27 pm
That’s the vibe he was going for, Joe.
December 17, 2012 at 5:24 pm
“Bucket of doughnuts” might be the greatest phrase ever uttered in the English language.
December 17, 2012 at 5:27 pm
The doughnuts are really good. They make them right on the spot and serve them warm … in a plastic bucket.
December 17, 2012 at 5:32 pm
1000 extra points for the Red Ryder reference.
December 18, 2012 at 7:28 am
That picture is adorable!! I didn’t really want to go see Santa, either, but my traditional side also got the better of me, and I ended up really glad that we went. My daughter (whose name is Sonia!) took an absolutely fantastic picture that was so cute I almost died.