Slightly Off-Balance

We are dashing through the snow our Christmas checklist of things to do with the kids during the holiday season.  Yesterday we hung up the Christmas lights outside and last night was the night to go take pictures with Santa.

Pictures with Santa is not one of my favorite activities: the waiting, the screaming kids, the germs – and that is before we even leave the house!  But, we have to pay our $20 for our 3 x 5 picture that proves we love our kids.  But this year was going to be fun, we had a plan…

We had dinner with a few friends and then raced around dressing the kids so that people would think my children regularly wore ironed, button-down shirts and poofy dresses.  I went to put on my daughter’s black tights and discovered I had brought footless leggings, so I pulled them down over her heels and shoved the ends into the toes of her black Mary Jane’s.  “But mommy, this is not how they work,” exclaimed my exasperated daughter.  “I know sweetie, but Mommy is silly and  we don’t want you to look goofy (I almost said stupid and caught myself) in your picture.”  I think the desperation in my voice and the rushing around of the other moms convinced my daughter to just go with it.

We packed the kids into the cars and headed off to see the big man.  As we were driving there, one of my friends said, “I didn’t think  to call to see what time the mall closes on a Sunday”.  It was 5:55 pm so I knew we were safe, no self-respecting mall closed before 9:00 pm this close to Christmas.

We pulled into the mall, congratulating ourselves for deciding to go on a Sunday night since there were far fewer cars in the parking lot.  We got the kids out of the car and somehow made it through the parking lot without losing anyone.  The kids were running around like someone had given them a Santa size portion of cocoa and I figured letting them run a bit before hitting the picture line would help preserve my last holiday nerve.

We opened the door to the mall… wait, why is it not opening?  They lock one of the doors?  All the doors are locked?  What the holly?  What time does the fa la la la la mall close?! 

6:00 pm.

My kids now have a picture in their Christmas finest in front of Coca-Cola machine – hey, at least it’s red and white!

Tell me about one your holiday mishaps.  I’ll either learn from your mistake or repeat it on purpose.