Santa

We took Jessie for the obligatory mall Santa visit a couple of weeks ago.  Upon walking into his 'set', her lip poked out and began trembling and her eyes filled with the biggest tears you ever saw.  Then Santa, wily old fart that he is, produced a candy cane, and Jessie's attitude toward him changed instantly and dramatically.  She'd never had a candy cane before to my knowledge, but she knew that it must be something good.  She never did sit on his lap, but rather stood on the seat next to him, watching him very warily.  She enjoyed the candy cane.  

The other day at library story time, Santa showed up and she got another candy cane from him. We asked her if she wanted to go talk to Santa when he first walked in. She said 'no'. Then we told her he had candy canes and she made a beeline across the room to get one.  "Tiny Tales" is this awesome program for kids under 3 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at the public library. It's only 30 minutes, which is perfect for a toddler's attention span. We sing songs, the librarian reads a book or two, and then a giant rubbermaid of stuffed animals is dumped in the middle of the floor along with a big basket of books. It becomes a free-for-all of kids running to get an animal or book and bringing it back to their parent. Jessie's favorite part is the Hokey Pokey, which she calls 'pokey' and can dance perfectly to.