Visit to The REAL Santa Claus

I'm still not sure quite how I talked myself into it, but I know without a doubt it was all my own doing.  I offered the kids a bunch of different options for fun things to do on Christmas Eve Eve, and no sooner had "We could go visit Santa Claus..." come out of my mouth when they were on it like nobody's business!

My neighbor Kris told me that the BEST Santa, the REAL Santa (not a "helper elf" Santa) was at Von Maur in the Yorktown Mall.  And sure enough, stationed right outside Von Maur, there he was...and apparently, he was no well kept secret, because the line was formidable.  But the children were not to be deterred.

We tried to wait it out, going on a train ride, playing in the play area, eating lunch in the food court.  My thinking was that once "naptime" hit around 1pm, the line would die down.  No such luck.  We procrastinators are a desperate and hardy bunch, and no one was leaving.  So we got in line, and I figured we'd see how fast we moved and go from there.  Initially, we covered half the distance to Santa in a half hour, so by my math, we had another half hour to go.  I think Santa may have taken a lunch break though, because for a solid 45 minutes, the line did not move. one. INCH.

I suggested that we should really go home a few times, but each time, all three of them would look at me like I'd just spoken Cantonese, and Ben would yell "But Mama, I have to give Santa a HUG!!!"  The child was going to give Santa a hug if he had to take me out to do it - so by golly, we waited our turn.

Was it worth it?

I have to say YES.  To see their faces, all three of them, just BEAM as they excitedly climbed on Santa's lap, with no one too shy or afraid to enjoy the moment they had waited so patiently for, was just MAGICAL.  Ben ran right up and high fived him, then jumped on his lap and hugged him as tightly as he could.  Molly just smiled ear to ear the entire time.  And Jack was his charming self with his "Merry Christmas Santa!  Ho! Ho! Ho!  Oh wait, that's YOUR line, har har!"  

And despite being the last in line before Santa's well deserved break to feed the reindeer, he did not rush the kids one bit - it was as if we were his first visitors of the day.  He laughed with them, hugged them, asked each of them to remind him what it was they were wishing for, and reminded them that he'd be coming to our house tomorrow night after they fell asleep. I actually started to feel guilty that we were taking too much time, so after a few minutes, I shooed the kids off his lap and they hugged and high fived their goodbyes.

They were all smitten, and floating on air for the rest of the day.  Because we had found him.  The REAL Santa!!  Right there in Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard! 

And we have the evidence to prove it...



It's a good thing I have the magical memory in my heart, because this picture didn't quite capture it!  Jack was trying to counteract his auto-blink response to camera flash.  So every time they took the picture, he'd open his eyes as wide as he could to make sure they stayed open during the shot. 
Always thinking, that one! 

Ho, ho ho!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!