Today is December 21st and I finally took the kids to see Santa tonight. Our lives have been crazy with wedding planning, work, Christmas parties. We haven't slowed down. But I made it a priority this week to get pictures made with St Nick.
Also in the plan was to have Santa talk to Rhiannon about Hermie. Who is Hermie? Hermie is our "Elf on the Shelf". He was sent to us this year from the jolly guy at the North Pole. Everyone else had one and I had heard so many stories from these folks about how much their kids enjoy the elf. And even better, they behave better. That got me on board. My 3 year old needs some miracle for better behavior because Lord knows all the other things we're trying wasn't working. Well, guess what? She doesn't buy into the Elf thing. She named him. Hermigan. Later shortened to Hermie after she watched Rudolph and was excited that the elf on the show had a similar name to her elf. But other than that, she could care less. Shed told me that he doesn't have magic. I move him every night. I try to be creative. Most nights that means me getting out of bed and staggering into the living room to move the damn thing because I had forgotten before bed. But she doesn't look for him. She gets mad when he has her toys or cups. And he certainly doesn't make her behave better.
So a guy I work with said that he told the helper at Santa photos to tell Santa to ask his 3 year old daughter about their elf. That apparently helped their situation.
I forgot to tell the helper. I was too obsessed in getting the picture taken.
I did hear Rhiannon tell Santa that she wanted a pink doll house though. Whew. Thank goodness I got that one right.
Back to photos. I was a tad worried about Henry. He cries when anyone holds him other than me, my mom, and Papa Rusty. He has some stranger anxiety. Who am I kidding. He's a Mama's boy! I was pretty sure that big man with white beard might make him cry. However, he did great! For the first 5 minutes anyway. He was smiling and looking at Santa. Great picture opps. What about Rhiannon? She has some smile that she thinks is cute. And it is cute, if she would actually look up from the floor. Wierd little chick. By the time we got her to look at the camera. (That involved me dancing behind the photographer. You would have been amused.) Henry was crying. Oh well. This is what we got. . .
And some past pictures. . .
This was Rhiannon's first Christmas. Because of her prematurity and RSV season, I wasn't about to take her to see a "dirty" Santa at the mall. So a friend of ours that dresses up each year to visit nursing homes, stopped by with his wife and his daughter Gabby. She is the sweet little elf. Rhiannon was so little!
For 2008 and 2009 pics with Santa, check out the post below.
http://babycrain.blogspot.com/2009/12/visit-with-santa.html
When I started kindergarten, my little buddy walked me to the top of our driveway and waited with me until the bus picked me up. I think it's a little strange that my Mama let her 3 year old stand by the road with only his 5 year old sister and no adult but she claims she watched from the front door. After the bus picked me up, he walked back down to the house to wait on me to get off the bus that afternoon. 
We have always been the best of playmates and as adults, truly the best of friends. I usually speak to him at least once a day. Lately, like 15 million times a day but who is counting? 
