Have I become a Grinch?  Have I become a Scrooge?  I have so many things to share with you, Chapelboro friends, and I hope you all are well.  Life has become holiday-crazed as my second baby is due is 3 short weeks.  And a holiday baby means an even more stressful holiday season for us.  It’s made me a bit of a grouch.  Some days I don’t want to focus on Christmas, I want to focus on baby.  Other days I would rather adorn myself with Christmas bows and tinsel instead of spend time sterilizing breast pump valves (yeah, who wants to do that?).

But now that Thanksgiving has passed, my Tiny Prints Christmas cards have been delivered by FedEx, and our tree is up, I have a more time to really revel in sharing the holiday with my 2 year old.  That means, of course, Santa.

Do you all take your children to sit on the merry man’s red lap every year?  And if so, do you have any tips for me?  I would really like NOT to be in the photo with my son this year.  That means we’re getting creative.  Sure, there is the Southpoint Mall Santa and the University Mall Santa and so many more out there (for a larger list of Santa sightings you can check out the webpage at Mom in Chapel Hill).

This year the newly renovated and now reopened Pullen Park in Raleigh (review coming to the website on Sunday) is having a Santa Holiday Express.  Plus we’ve also scored tickets to the Museum of Life + Sciences Santa Train.  We’re hoping that combining trains (my son’s obsession) with Santa will take the stress out of seeing Santa.

Then, depending on what life is like post-newborn, we’re contemplating this: Lights on the Neuse.  This is located in Clayton, so not a quick drive for us.

And wait a minute….what am I doing!?  I am about to pledge to drive myself and my toddler and my newborn out to Clayton to try to make Santa more appealing?!  Parents, am I crazy-talking?  What is it about the holidays where I so badly want my toddler to disregard his natural (and good) inclination to steer clear of strangers so that he will sit, cherubically, in his cutest Christmas outfit on a man’s lap?

I am not going to think about it too much…instead I will continue to explore this great Triangle area we live in to bring you all holiday ideas on the website.  Do come visit us over there, please.  And if you have any ideas on 1- how to get my child to not be terrified of Santa and 2- why us parents care so much about this, chime in!

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