Our Trip To See Santa

We had big plans to see Santa on Friday. Well, I should say that I had big plans for Paprika to see Santa on Friday. Mr. Mustard got home from work, we got Paprika dressed in a cute outfit to see Santa, and then asked her, "Paprika, do you want to go see Santa?"

Paprika: Nonononononononononono.

Well, we didn't listen. We put Paprika in the car and headed out to see Santa anyway. Paprika wanted to drive the car. Obviously, that wasn't happening, so she got mad. Then we tried to put her in the stroller, but she doesn't like going in the stroller, so then she got really mad. Then I tried to put her coat on her, and she was so offended!

Then we finally got up to see Santa, and she looked at me like, "Are you crazy? I told you I didn't want to see Santa!"

I said, "Oh, Paprika- look, there's Santa!!!" And she said, "Let's go inside the store, mom."

Here we were, the perfect chance to see Santa (there was NO LINE even!), and she dissed him! So, we didn't go talk to Santa. Maybe next year.

She wasn't afraid of Santa, she just wanted nothing to do with him. Instead, she wanted to go inside the Gap and run around the store, go up and down in the glass elevator, go sit and talk with all the mannequins in the window display, and use the scarf rack as her own beaded curtain.

If you know Paprika, you know she likes to behave like she's 25 years old. She sees other children as "babies" but herself as an adult. She doesn't like to be pushed in the stroller, she wants to walk for herself, thank you very much. She doesn't want to see Santa, she wants to go shopping with the other adults. Sigh.

She did get a kick out of these oversized Christmas ornaments. Mostly, she wanted to see if she could slide down the chute and get inside one!



When we finally got back into the car and were leaving the parking garage, Paprika waved out the window and said, "Bye Bye Santa Claus! See you next time!!!" And then she gave us both the biggest smile...