Santa was heading to his lunch break when we arrived. Grr. Elle was on the verge of needing a nap, but we tried to keep her happy and awake as we did some other shopping in the mall. We checked back a few times and were finally ready to give up on Santa's return when we saw him heading back to the "North Pole" as we were exiting the mall.
We followed the Big Man back to his sleigh, and shelled out the dough for this historical occasion. The "elves" went to work trying to get Elle to smile. Since she was now past-due for a nap, I was just glad she wasn't crying as she took in the scene around her while being held by a strange man. We had some solid shots ... and then the female elf decided to push her luck. The other elf told us that this woman was the "Smile Queen" and could coax a grin out of any child. I was dubious.
I tried to get Elle to smile, and then the female elf charged in on the other side, trying to tickle Elle's cheeks.
Out came the lower lip, and then the wail, followed by tears. Santa - that quick, smart, marketing man, cradled her and tried to "shhhhh" her, but Elle was done. I jumped in and whisked my daughter to safety - we'd done our part in capturing the memory, and now it was time for a nap. The "Smile Queen" tried to talk us in to purchasing the photo of Elle crying while being "calmed" by Santa, but we preferred a more positive representation of how the visit had truly gone until she was scared.
And I present to you serious little Elle on Santa's lap:
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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