Santa At Last

Score one for Mommy! For the last few months, Munch has been assuring me that she is no longer afraid of Santa. She explains, "I'm a big girl. I'm not going to cry." I beam at her with enthusiastic uh-ha(s) while trying to hide my skepticism. I know my Munch...she's going to pull a bait-and-switch on me, giving me enough hope to approach mall Santa with her and then melting down into a crazed fright. So Poh Poh and I take Munch to the mall yesterday for a free breakfast at one of the fast-food eateries. Gi catches a glimpse of Santa from afar and again tells us that she is not afraid because she is three now. Buoyed by Gi's repeated declarations of new found bravery, we enter Santa's Polar Express studio. No sign of fight-or-flight instincts from Munch. Munch is apprehensive but in a curious way. Gi and I high-five Santa as an introduction. She answers Santa's questions diligently. What do you want for Christmas? A new Princess camera. (Ok, I did not expect this response from Munch). Have you been a good girl? Yes. Did you brush your teeth this morning? (Perfect question because Munch usually makes us earn our parenting badges when it comes to brushing her teeth). Yes, I did. She, too, seem surprised that Santa inquired about her teeth brushing. At this point, I gingerly put Gi on Santa's lap and away we go. After a couple of shots, we get the picture that we want. No tears, no squirming, no frightful fleeing. Big sigh of relief from Poh Poh and Mommy. Finally!