Milk and Cookies with Santa

Two of my friends hosted a brilliant party last night.

There were cookies, little chocolate milk boxes, hot cocoa, and Santa came.  He read a story to the little kids and handed out presents.  It was loads of fun, and a perfect party for little children.

They provided hot cocoa and chocolate milk, and guests were asked to bring a plate of cookies to share.  It was an amazingly awesome sugar-overload.

There were 1,000 children at the party.  Ha.  No, not really.  But it felt like it.  There was a constant stream of kids going up the stairs to the cookie table, to the chocolate milk, then back up the stairs.

This is Jessie.  I love Jessie.  Jack loves Jessie.  I want Jack to grow up and marry Jessie and have lots of cute little babies, and so does Jessie's Mom.  I know what that really means is that it will never happen.  Ha! But for now, Jessie's Mom and I are enjoying the cuteness that is these two.  He is her protector and he loves her.  I know this, because he told me so.

The Coach was grouchy.  He was sick.  We were all sick, but in the fine tradition of "men turn into giant babies when they are sick", he was grouchy.  I asked him to stay home, but he didn't want to.  So he just sat there in all his sick grouchiness torturing me with the horrible look on his face.

And then Santa showed up, and the kids were REALLY excited!  There was a lot of jumping up and down, chanting Santa Santa Santa over and over again, a little hyperventilation, and then of course there is always a kid that gets too excited and just starts to cry hysterically.

Jack was really looking forward to this party.  He's skeptical of this guy we call Santa.  In his heart of hearts, he doesn't truly BELIEVE in Santa.  Every once in a while I see him WANT to believe, but after he rationalizes it in his head, he quickly reverts back to skepticism.  Tonight, he really wanted to believe.  He kept telling me hoped it was the REAL Santa, and not just some guy in a cheap suit.  (Yes, he really said that.  Cheap suit.)

I give Santa his props, his suit was not cheap.  Jack sized him up and he passed the test.

The kids stood in a line quietly and were really well behaved while waiting for their turn to sit on Santa's lap.  For the record, neither Shandi nor Justice have ever sat on Santa's lap.  Well, Justice did once, when he was nine.  They were both terrified.  

Jack is giving Santa a detailed list of the things he wants for Christmas, none of which are under the tree.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that yet.  I'm mulling it over.  I'm sure I'll end up getting them.  

All smiles.

Even Bo got to sit on Santa's lap.  The look on his face is PRICELESS.  He's like "What the….."

I love this one.  

After each of the kids had a turn on his lap, he sat them all down and read them a story.  He was a FANTASTIC Santa.  I mean really great.  Everything about him was as realistic as can be.  

After the story, he passed out the presents.  Everyone was asked to bring a wrapped pair of pajamas for the kids.  This idea was the most genius of all.  We have six kids, so we've been to our fair share of "bring your kid a wrapped gift" parties.  They usually end in absolute tragedy for some kids because there is always a parent that strays outside of the "20 dollar rule" and buys their kid some 100 dollar toy.  The rest of the kids get upset, and they fight over each others presents and everybody blames Santa.  It's horrible.  But this was great.  Every single kid got a pair of new jammies.  No fighting, no trying to trade presents.  Every little kid was happy, and it was a beautiful sight.

I had a near-catastrophe with the presents.  I had planned to make the boys matching Christmas pajamas.  Pants and shirt style.  Two days before hand, Jack informed me that he was really excited about Santa bringing him some "footie jammies".  I said I didn't think Santa brought those kind and he quickly replied that YES of course he did and he was really excited about it.

Huh.  Now what?

My awesome plan of matching jammies flew out the window.  It was too late in the season to find holiday themed pajamas.  I know this because my dear friend Natalie drove all over Memphis looking for them.  She even braved the mall for me.  No luck.  And although my plan was better, Jack's plan is the plan that counts.  So a five dollar pair of Superman pajamas from Walmart was going to have to do.

And WOW, was he happy.  "Exactly what I wanted!!!" he yelled.  And suddenly it didn't matter that he was holding the grossest pair of pajamas I'd ever seen.  Santa came through on his promise and that was all that mattered to Jack.

Bo couldn't have possibly cared any less about his jammies.  He did really enjoy the wrapping paper though.  

A picture of the zoo that is a room full of kids opening presents.

I'm sure by now you've noticed I dressed the boys similarly.  You know I love matching clothing.

And guess who is trying to walk?  Yes indeed.  He creeps around the living room from couch to table to chair and back around.  It won't be long.

As Santa was leaving, Jack ran up to him and stuck out his hand to shake it like a grown man.  I laughed, but at the same time I took it as a sign that Santa made a good impression on him.  And for that, I am thankful.  He is too little to have the magic of Santa already gone for him.  I know he has a hard time believing in the make-believe, and some kids are just like that.  But I'm not like that, therefore I struggle with his inability to pretend.

This party was REALLY fun.  The kids had a great time and the intimate setting was perfect.  Not waiting in an hour long line to get a picture with Santa at an overly crowded mall was great.  

I love the holiday season, and I definitely love a great party.

Merry Christmas!