mall Santa

We have all of our Santa pictures from the past nine years in a rotating picture frame on the mantel so we can see how we've grown - physically and emotionally. We want to carry on the tradition. All the girls we're very excited. HOWEVER, the evening didn't go exactly as planned. We were going to meet Daddy there after work but arrived a few minutes before him. We weren't technically standing in line, but we were hanging around, and I was even talking to the cashier. There was no line, so everything was going like clockwork, and everybody's hair still looked neatly brushed and combed when Daddy arrived. We walk up to the entrance and the photographer yells at us that they're closing for break and will be back in 45 minutes. NO WAY! I was extremely frustrated. We decided to go upstairs and grab a quick bite to eat. When we came back down, there were 20+ people in line. We waited and waited - Daddy stood in line while I walked around with the girls so they wouldn't get so restless. When it was finally was our turn, the girls hopped right up on Santa's lap, but we couldn't get Bethany to smile for anything. Oh well! The evening turned into a 2-hour ordeal and I turned into a BAH HUMBUG!