The Santa Picture

So we almost created a moment for our child to use as a guilt trip on us later in life. We almost forgot to get Elektra a picture with Santa Claus! (Gasp!)

It's not that we forgot or anything. I mean we had good intentions of dressing her up and taking her to the mall with the other heard of parents. We would stand in line with the other kids all in itchy outfits waiting our turn to plop Elektra on some strange man's lap. He would ask her what she wanted for Christmas and her response would be a high pitch cry that could be heard as far away as the food court. Then we would stand there as proud parents watching her get temporarily blinded by the camera flash. And for the price of a full tank of gas we would walk away with 4 wallet size photos of an event she won't remember or even care about when she's 15. At least that was the plan.

Well, with all the activities going on, the whole Santa thing sort of got pushed to the back burner. But not to worry, where theirs a will theirs a Mattingly willing to dress up in a Santa costume.

That Mattingly would be David, Elektra's grandfather, Marine, retired DPS Officer and now undercover Santa Claus.

Let me just say that Elektra adores her Poppie David, but when he put that white beard on it was a scene from one of those 1980's stranger danger videos they use to show you in school. Elektra wanted nothing to do with Santa and she clung to us for dear life. Trying to sit her on his lap you would think we were trying to make her sit on a pile of hot coals.

We did manage to get a few pictures for Elektra just had enough. And, of course, as soon as the beard and hat was off, Elektra was back to loving her Poppie.