The Jolly Big Guy

 
I'm not talking about my older brother, although he's been known to sport a red coat trimmed in fur around the holiday times, I'm talking about the the Head Elf, Old Man Christmas, why St. Nick himself, and all his appearances he makes during the Christmas season.  We've seen him at the store, the school, the mall, in fact he even showed up at our family Christmas party, and even though my children know these Santas aren't the "real" Santa, their reaction is always the same, fascination.  They're always anxious to get a closer look, is his beard real, what about the belly, and those bells let me just give them a shake, they're so eager to investigate they almost forget the purpose of seeing him.

Abe was in tears (didn't get to share his Christmas song) until Santa came bounding in, with his boisterous "Ho, Ho, Ho!".  Quickly wiping his tears, he hung on Santa's every word until it was his turn to examine the Jolly Man.

Three matching sweaters, you should see them on Easter, one of the things I really can't explain about myself. 

In the end I only have one complaint about our visits with the Man in Red, why is it if you put three children on Santa's lap at once he's bound to make some sort of comment about it?   "Oh wow, I don't know if my knee is going to hold out.", or "Oh boy, someone ate a big breakfast.", or even "Whoa, I don't know if this was a good idea!?!"  Really Santa, don't be such a lightweight, let me know when their using your back as a ladder, and your legs as a slide, all while your trying to nurse a baby, then maybe you'll have something to "O boy", or "Whoa" about, until then just consider yourself lucky.

So here's Merry Christmas to those of you who really knows what it means to have a knee go out while juggling children (and a Merry Christmas to those of you who don't, lucky suckers)!