Santa Claus is Comin' to . . . My House?



Santa looks like he needs a drink.

 Ahhhh yes. Those of us who partake in Santa Claus Photo Hijinks can certainly relate to this photo on the left, and I can't begin to tell you how many years I spent perched on the old guy's knee myself, with my young daughter, Big Sister, grinning impishly on his lap, eyes watery from recently shed tears.

That made up my mind that I wouldn't force her little brother, Fuzzy, to be in Santa pictures until he was good and ready. 

That was a good decision - because Fuzzy was always one of those reserved kind of children - and communications with Santa were best done via the U.S. Mail, and watching the big guy from a safe distance of about the distance of a football field.  That was fine with me - it just meant we had less of this sort of thing to deal with (see photo at right).

manofest.com
Don't cry, Santa, it's almost over



As Fuzzy grew older, the photo opportunities with Santa grew fewer and farther between.  There was always talk of taking him to visit the jolly old elf, but somehow it never happened.

My heart strings tugged as Fuzzy wistfully said one day, "I sure wish I could see Santa this year."  After all, the poor kid is turning another year older soon, which means another year closer to not believing in Santa.  What to do, what to do.



Hey - maybe the Big Guy
is onto something, here!
awkwardfamilyphotos.com



We were out of town, living in a hotel at the time, it was about three days before Christmas and I imagined the lines to see Santa at the mall would be huge as tykes of all ages and sizes waited impatiently in line for their turn to see the master toy deliverer himself, and with our schedule - there was no way a visit to Santa would occur, up close and personal.

Imagine my surprise when, our first evening home, the doorbell rang. Who should be standing there but the Jolly Old Elf Himself - Kris Kringle - SANTA CLAUS????

I hadn't said a thing to anyone about Fuzzy's wish, yet - here was Santa, standing on my front porch, laden with bags and boxes of gifts.

Well, let me tell you - there isn't anything else that will restore your belief in the red-suited guy more than seeing him standing, unannounced, on your front porch, just a day or two before Christmas.



Somehow, Santa looks like
the happiest person here!
awkward family photos.com



Fuzzy was delighted.  In his reserved and mature way, he treated Santa like any other adult visitor in the house. And, he couldn't take his eye off Mr. Kringle. 

Finally - he'd gotten to visit with Santa.

What is one of your favorite holiday memories?

What holiday photos are in your possession that you wish had never been taken?

For more photo fun, check out Awkward Family Photos .



Miscellaneous Musings

I don't get out much these days, but there is still a lot to observe within the close quarters I'm calling home these days (hospital. No, I haven't been committed though some days I think I should be).  Lucky you, the recipient of my meandering mind's output.

• I've never seen a larger collection of panty-hose clad legs than I have in this hospital.  Usually in the early afternoon, a cluster of prospective job candidates is finishing a round at the hospital.  The men are clad in navy suits, and the women are wearing the skirt-suit counterpart and - major gasp - wearing pantyhose with the traditional business-wear navy blue pumps.  Being at eye level with all of this one day (I was talking to Fuzzy, in his wheelchair, and also chatting with Fuzzy's doctors) I commented on this.  "It sure is nice to see women wearing pantyhose in the business world again," I remarked, then hastened to explain lest the doctors think I was some sort of weirdo, "I was raised in a time when you didn't wear a business suit or dress of any type without nylons."  The doctors took notice, possibly because they're men, but possibly because they just hadn't paid attention before. One of them thought that it was just a trend, and in ten years' time, things would change again.  He could be right.  I just hope that nylons will be a part of a professional wardrobe, for women. Men, too. What the hell.
• The hospital is a great place to people watch.  The biggest "FAIL" I saw this week was a patient clad in gown and pajama bottoms, wearing a winter jacket and an IV pole, out in the courtyard, smoking a cigarette a few feet away from the "NO SMOKING" sign.
• I like the "ethnicity" of this place.  The staff is comprised of people of many different cultures and ethnicities, and no one seems to consider this any big deal. It's just all part of daily life, here. 
• Chair massage.  Those two words should be enough, but some of you will be reading that and saying, "Huh? Why would my chair need a massage?"  So I'll clarify.  Almost daily, there is someone available to do a chair massage for staff, students, parents, etc.  It's wonderful.  You sit on a padded seat, slightly tilted forward so your knees can rest on a padded ledge that keeps your knees bent at a comfortable angle, and your feet off the floor. Your face rests downward (if you've had a massage before, you'll know how your face rests - the outer edges are resting on this padded thing and your nose, eyes, mouth, etc. are free to breathe, sneeze, etc.), your arms rest comfortably on a padded ledge - it sounds very strange, probably looks even stranger - but seriously, a person could fall asleep on that bizarre chair.  Then - the real magic begins.  Massaging those neck and shoulder muscles, down the back. Mmmmm.....I'm melting into a big puddle of happily massaged blob. . .
• There are a lot of friendly people, here.  No one really gets in your face and insists on conversation, but if you're looking lost, someone is bound to stop and ask, "What are you looking for?" and give you directions.  It's easy to get lost in this place - it's a bit like a labyrinth.
• Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat - please to put a penny in the old man's hat. Yep, Christmas is coming, and I don't have any shopping done to speak of.  Do I care? You bet. Am I going to let it bother me?  I will get some shopping done. Eventually.  Before December 24th.  And while I'm feeling a little bit anxious about it, I'm not ready to abandon my bedside post and scramble to the nearest shopping mall to send the credit card into overdrive. Will this Christmas be above and beyond the best, most incredible gift-giving extravaganza ever? Probably not.  But, it doesn't *have* to be.  Even under normal circumstances, Christmas doesn't have to be "out-done" and "better than last year's."  Whatever Christmas may be to you, for me - I'd like it to be less about the stress of shopping and preparing for company and travel, and more about the intangible things.  It can be a hard lesson to learn, I'm feeling a lot of impatience to SHOP and get the perfect gifts for the kids and for others.  To decorate the house, bake.  Plan and schedule gatherings, etc.  This year, Christmas won't "happen" quite that way due to circumstances beyond my control.  I think I can handle that.  I think I might learn something about myself (and others) from that.  If I figure out what it is, I'll let you know. 
• Sometimes it's really hard to accept help from people.  We feel embarrassed, self-conscious, like suddenly we're incapable and someone else has to "do" for us.  There's no reason to feel like that.  For most, the offer to help is genuinely meant, and we must learn to accept it gracefully, and gratefully.  There is a song we hear in church periodically, something along the lines of "you will be my faithful servant" and "let me be your servant, too."  We may find it easier to help others than to let others help us.  It's ok to be "taken care of," and it shouldn't be perceived as a sign of weakness or incompetence.  There are many ways to serve and "be served." There are gifts to be found in each.

That's all for miscellaneous musings today.


For those who have wondered, Fuzzy is making progress - we hope to be home in a couple weeks and continue treatment on an out-patient basis. Fuzzy in is good spirits and improving every day.  Thank you, everyone, for your care and concern.