We were hoping this year would bring smiles from Smith when he saw Santa but not the case. I love these pictures today. However, yesterday while I was taking them and worn slick I thought I was going to loose it. Smith goes through having a full fit to just being super mad. At one point, I know his little mind was thinking (along with my husband and Tom Sutherland) enough already with these pictures in this Jon jon with a big Santa on it Mom!!! However, despite all that, we really had a great time at Breakfast with Santa. We went to brunch with our very best friends here in Springfield and it is always fun and of course a little crazy when we all get together. My kids were so excited to see Santa (all except Smith). When they laid their eyes on him and talked to him it was magical. He was pretty round and short. He was so kind and as Jackson quoted from elf "he didn't smell like beef and cheese." Jackson and Mollie Jane talked all day yesterday about how that was the real Santa. Santa had the neatest pocket watch that was amazing. It was like a music box with a little sleigh that danced around it and it showed all the time zones and was beautiful. A little boy came up to Santa and said that he wasn't the real Santa because he didn't know the name of his toy or something and then Santa explained that he did know the name of it an proceeded to say it and the little boy was speechless. Santa was also so good with Smith who decided to throw fits around Santa yesterday. Santa was so patient and was concerned that Smith wasn't feeling well or himself. Santa was right. Smith has been fighting a bad cold, although I think more of our behavior (as you can see from the photographs) was just being a lovely two year old as opposed to being "under the weather." Our whole family is now convinced that he was the real Santa and he was magical for sure. It was so fun and my dear friend Melissa and I because we have such similar taste ordered the same outfits for our kids so we were like one big family yesterday. Several people asked me if we were related. I said I wish! The reality is these friends really are like family and don't know what I would do without them the last several years with all the challenges it has brought and with my husband being "MIA" so often.
