3rd time's the charm...wait

 Not in this case. I think this whole picture with Santa thing is actually getting worse!

2009 (just complacent)

2010 (crying- this is actually my fave of the three)

2011(terrified-

I didn't have the heart this year to just set her on his lap and leave. 

He was kind of scary even to me)

I have to write a quick blurb on the Santa picture we just took this year. Its obviously not professional (in fact none of these ones are), B just hurried and took it. The cheapest package was $23. I guess this is pretty normal and I'm just a cheapskate, but holy cow I only want one photo. I would have paid $5 and even $10 for one photo if it was a good Santa and backdrop etc. But this Santa was the worst I've ever been to, not to mention the backdrop was nothing to get excited about. Liv was waving really cute at him while we were in line and saying Hi Santa, and he was sleeping in between kids and never acknowledged her. A small wave wouldn't have been too hard, right? He never smiled and barely said 2 words. No wonder she didn't want to sit on his lap. For the record, I do feel kind of bad for all the mall Santa's out there since the majority of the kids you see are screaming their heads off, but I've been to enough Santa's that smiled through it all and were still cordial.

We had prepped all week for visiting Santa. Liv seemed totally set. I showed her pictures of kids sitting on Santa's lap and she knew that she would go and "sit on lap". I had even gone over all the questions with her! If Santa asks if you've been a good girl you say, "Yes I'm a good girl". What do you want for Christmas? "A dolly and a doggy". She was seriously adorable when I was asking the questions. Like I said, in line just before it was our turn she was waving and talking to Santa, then when it was our turn she just turned and with terror in her eyes she said,"No...no...no" I picked her up and she dug her fingers in and wrapped those legs around me and I knew she wasn't going anywhere. I even tried to bribe with candy, but no go. She was not letting go. So I sat right down on mean Santa's lap and smiled for camera. I couldn't even get her to turn and look at her Daddy. Oh well. At least I didn't pay anything for that! And we have a good story to tell her when she's older!