No Ho Ho Ho

Last week, after L's swim practice, I couldn't bear the thought of going home alone with 3 kids after already a looonnnnng day alone with 3 kids knowing DH was not going to be there to help me bathe, read books and put all 3 to sleep. So I took out my Blackberry, googled Candy Cane Lane in Rancho Santa Margarita and drove directly to the nearest drive-thru Starbucks (funny, never even understood why those existed until I had kids, now I know not only know why they exist but just how important they are to one's well-being). I got 3 yummy hot chocolates with just-a-little ( I think the man at Starbucks called it "extra extra light", why do they have to repeat their terminology every time even though they know exactly what you mean?) whipped cream, 2 pieces of banana loaf bread to share between the 3 of us and turned on KOST FM for some Christmas music and drove around Candy Candy Lane to admire all the lights. If I had planned ahead I would have brought our own Christmas music, a Christmas video for the minivan ride there and back, and put them in their jammies - we will do this next time. But regardless, I was so pleased with myself as L and I kept shouting out all the neat blinking lights, carousels, snowmans, candy canes, laughing, pointing, ooh'ing and awe'ing ... I even started to get tears in my eyes over this beautiful Christmas memory moment.

Then. It. Happened.

We saw the most realistic Santa Claus sitting in a very realistic sleigh on the lawn of about the 5th house in our car tour.

E. Lost. It. Right. There. My. Beautiful. Moment. Changed (momentarily).

E has now seen Santa 3 times this year and every single time my usually brave, courageous, daring girl freezes up, trembles, screams and jumps into my arms. This was no different, except the poor girl was strapped into her car seat trying desperately to get herself out and into my arms - her arms stretched in front of her as far as they could reach into my direction. I eventually was able to calm her down (thank goodness for that lollipop in my purse!) and we enjoyed the rest of our car tour. What a great kick-off to a new Christmas tradition.

The next night we took DH back to Candy Cane Lane to show him all the lights and walk around to get a closer look at all the details these nice people take the time to display for everyone to enjoy. And funny, the big man in the red hat didn't seem quite so big and intimidating to DD when she was with DH?! Wonder why that is?! :-)

**Disclaimer: please don't go thinking I am implying anything in the last paragraph about my DH, there is a nice inside joke for him there**see,there you go, thinking the worse, I swear it is all in good, clean fun**did you get DH?!**