Sharing secrets with Santa

So far this year, Grace has "seen" Santa a handful of times. Each time, she has approached him cautiously and has only gone close enough to give him a "high five". I totally understand how going up to and sitting on a strange man whose face is covered in a beard and mustache can be scary. So, I haven't pushed her. And, I thought, we probably wouldn't get a picture with him this year. But I guess the talking about him and desensitizing paid off because today Grace sat on Santa's lap!

We went to a holiday walk this afternoon at an outdoor shopping area where the storekeepers got together and planned a variety of family activities throughout the day. There were elves, Frosty the Snowman,local bands playing Christmas carols, a living Nativity (with sheep, a llama, a donkey, etc), snacks and hot chocolate, horse drawn carriage rides,reindeer you could feed,and Santa made an appearance at several different locations. We stopped in at his first venue - a wild bird/garden store. Grace explored while we waited for Santa to arrive, asking, "What that?" over and over again. I kept thinking her shirt was appropriate as I braced myself for something to fall off its shelf and break!We were at the back of the store when we heard Santa's sleigh bells and a big "ho ho ho" and suddenly he appeared. We got lucky and happened to be in a place where Grace was the first child Santa saw so he got down on his knee and talked to her softly. Whatever he said seemed to work because she inched close enough to tell him her name and that she is 2 years old. Santa then moved to a special seat by the window and he called Grace to him to finish their conversation. I held my breath as he reached down to pick her up, but she didn't hesitate. I think it was that he talked to her in a very quiet calm voice and gave her his sleigh bells to hold. I am not sure what they talked about, but I did hear Santa ask Grace if she wanted a baby doll for Christmas. She said, "Yes" but then when he asked her what other toys she like to play with she replied, "cars". I know there are some trains under Nana and Ba's tree for Grace, but Santa might have to hurry back to the North Pole and make a few more toy cars for a little girl named Grace he met today.