Elly's visit with Santa

It has become a bit of tradition for us to get annual pictures of Elly with Santa Claus. It was never something I thought about before having her, but having Santa at the PX every year has just made it really easy. It's becoming increasingly more difficult though because of her dislike of him. This year I didn't think it was going to happen at all. As we started to see the stage for Santa being set up at the PX and she realized that he was going to be there she kept telling us that she didn't want to see him.

He's at the PX for the last couple of weeks before Christmas so every time we went in (a couple of times a week) she saw him and saw other kids sitting with him. EVERY time, she made sure we knew she didn't want to go see him. I didn't want to scar her for life so I resigned myself to not having a picture of her with Santa this year.

So, actually getting her picture (sort of) with Santa was completely unplanned and just came about without me trying at all.

Something I didn't really take notice of until this year (because who really notices Santa - he's just a man in a white beard and red outfit) is that Elly has had the same Santa for each year. It's one man who volunteers his time each Christmas season. I only know this because I met him in the Commissary one day and we had a nice conversation. Since then I've seen him around town and had other conversations. He came to Germany years ago in the military and according to him met the most beautiful girl in the world. They married and stayed in her country and had their family. Just a few years ago she lost her battle with cancer. He talked about her with such love. It was really sweet. Anyhow, he said that he has been Santa for many years. He does it as a service to the community and just wants to provide parents with pictures of their kids with Santa Claus. Someone takes pictures and you get them on a disk free of charge. I love it!

ANYHOW...back to how I got pictures...Elly and I went to the PX one day just before Christmas (maybe the 23rd) and as were were going in she told me (yet again) that she did not want to see Santa Claus. I told her that was fine and we went on into the PX. On our way out we had to pass by that area again and the lady (who I found out later is "Santa's" granddaughter) started talking to Elly and asked her if she wanted to see Santa. Of course, Elly said she didn't.

This girl kept talking to Elly and asked if she liked chocolate. Well...she LOVES chocolate, but apparently not enough to sit with Santa to get it. They didn't have any other kids waiting in line so they really worked with her and finally got her to agree to just sit in Santa's chair with me and THAT is how I got pictures of my girl with Santa this year...















It was the cutest thing. When we got done and went over to the computer where they were putting the pictures on a disk, Elly saw the picture with Santa RIGHT behind her. Her little head whipped around so fast to see where he was. She was shocked to see him in the picture with us :) I was so pleased with the care they took to help me get a picture of her with Santa. They were just so great and took a lot of time working with her. I didn't plan (and really didn't want) to be in the pictures, but I'm glad we got them.