Santa...take 3

Remember the days when Sam would go to anyone...even scary men with a white beard and big red suit...last year Sam sat on Santa's lap and perfectly posed for the camera...ahhh, those were the days with a 9 month old...fast forward to this year...sooooo not the same with a 22 month old...sooo not the same!!!!   We had three attempts, mainly due to my theory that I refuse to pay the insane prices to take a quick pic with the mall Santa...but that is a whole other story!  Here is attempt one at the Christmas parade..."Sammy C, if you sit with this scary man Momma will give you a candy cane to play with....."  

It worked for all of two seconds...Sam was on to me...this is as good as it got...
Attempt two with the Santa at Barefoots Landing...once again free...once again not having ANY of it...this time he won't even go near him.  But if you went to see Santa you got a free ride on the carousel (see carousel in the back of the pic) so momma took one for the team and her AND baby girl accompanied Sam on the big man's lap...BECAUSE did I mention the free carousel ride and the fact that both hubby and I are poor teachers therefore we MUST take advantage of ALL things free, even if it means we scar our children for life! 
Oh how I wanted to pick up and squeeze this little Santa who not only told stories but sang and played carols on his guitar, CAN WE SAY PRECIOUS!  This time mamma got smart and handed the petrified 22  month old to Daddy for it was clearly his turn to "take one for the team"!    

For I was too busy taking adorable pictures of children who cooperate with their mommas and soak up Santa cuteness and the camera!  (you just wait till next year Faith!) 
Santa was rocking Eliza back and forth and oh my how the crowd was ohhhhhing and ahhhhing!  
Can you not get enough of this adorable face...I'm still trying to figure out who had the chubbiest cheeks...Liza just might have beat out Santa!  
And now my pregnancy hormones just want to pick up that chunky baby who I get to call my niece and squeeze all those rolls!!!   Please note the fact that chubby baby's 2 year old brother did not make it into the cuteness pictures.  He was too busy being scared for life along with cousin Sam.  Why is it that boys never seem to cooperate!