A Christmas Tradition

Much to Brian's chagrin, Luna, my mom and I made our first trip to visit Santa this week. Not that Luna had any clue as to what was going on, it was really just for me to get a picture. When I was growing up, it was a yearly tradition for my sister and I to get our picture taken with the Fredrick & Nelson's Santa Clause. Even after the department store went out of buisness, and we were really much to old to sit on his lap, my sister and I continued to make the yearly visit to Santa until she was in college (it really wasn't a choice we had, my mother insisted). And although there were several times I felt much too cool to be going through with such a silly tradition, it is actually kind of fun now to look back at the collection of over 20 pictures. Each year we pull out the photos and compare the different years. Of course there are the couple where it's just me before Emily comes along. Then the years where we are dressed alike (what is it that compels parents to dress their kids up the same?). My sister loves to point out the year where she surpasses me in height and I have to sit on Santa's lap while she gets to stand behind (I think this happened when she was in 3rd grade). And of course there are the "awkward years". Anyway, a tradition it was and Christmas wouldn't have been the same without the obligatory Santa photo. Sorry Luna. I know how it's going to feel, but I'm the Mom.