Christmas MUST go on!

Lots of stuff happening this season. Finally took Killu to get pics with Santa at the Galleria. That was fun! I took last Thursday off as a vacation day because I deserved it and I wanted to spend the day with my little baby boy. The morning started off slow and easy with breakfast at Empire. We managed to wake Paul Mercado and drag him out into the morning. Killu ran around all over the place after eating the contents of a giant breakfast taco with chorizo and egg. He also gobbled down a small sweet risotto. He munched on cookies while maneuvering between occupied tables and chairs and charmed everyone in the restuarant with his little diaper booty shaking to a fro with each step.
Then we took Paul to Diedrich's and left him there to tackle the traffic to the Galleria on our own. It wasn't too bad, we got there in record time to arrive 20 mins before Santa was to appear. There was one couple there before us, had been there since 9:30 (ten minutes before we got there) with their little three year old angel boy (everyone compared to my little one seems to be an angel these days). So we proceeded to wait, wich meant, I got to chase Killu around to keep him from eating the dangerous poinsettias or from getting on the dangerous escalator (MAN was that scary). He did climb up and down the stairs though, with mom right behind him.
Santa arrived at 10:00 AM with his two helpers. One was a surly large woman, the holiday vest did NOTHING for her. The other, a young sweet girl with tons of face powder. Surly was not happy. Powder explained that the cameras could not be found and that we would possibly have to wait a little while.
Killu started violently bucking in my arms screeching to be set free to run. Angel boy looked on wide eyed with wonder (You were just like that not too long ago, I said to him in my head). I let Killu run and chased after him shouting my stats to Powder for my order form.
As Killu ran around the Mini Santa village, I could see Surly was making little progress, even with two cell phones and one land line all a-ringing like the holidays. At one point I heard her proclaim, "Yes I will hold and I must tell you that I don't like your attitude...No you don't understand...!!" Boy, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes, I thought as I ran after Killu who managed to walk into a Crystal store (they advertised on three t.v. screens that your 3-D likeness could be immortalized in a crystal brick - looked kind of morbid like the face of a dead person lying face up in a crystal casket). I chased him back out into the staircase again, which he proceeded to happily climb.
10:40 AM
Checked back with Powder, Surly had run off with a distressed and stressed out looking man "to seek the lost cameras". It should be 20 minutes or so, says Powder.
GREAT!
Now we've been out of the house since 7:30 AM, Killu has run around to near exhaustion and nap time is fast approaching. Change of scenery was needed as I watched him ready to explode into Mr. Hyde. I took him away to the snack area where I ordered an iced Chai latte with tapioca balls. The lady who served it spilled some on me. Great! Killu screeching for me to pick him up, hmmmm, he's tired. Saw the clock on the wall, it's 11:00 AM.
We went downstairs and found 10 COUPLES in line with beautiful children. Camera was finally found and was working. GREAT! I thought, Now I have to stand in line. So I took my place at the end of the line behind double strollers bearing twin angelic little girls, dad's burping little newbies on their giant shoulders, moms licking their hands and plastering their little boys cowlicks down. Killu wanted to get out of my arms again and run up the escalator. Powder saved me at that moment by spotting me and signaling me to come up ahead. SURE DID!
Killu and I were next, and he was not happy. Instinctively, he did not want to release my sweater. When I pried his little fingers away, he pouted, severely, in Santa's arms. Inwardley, I thanked him for not bucking in Santa's arms (a new little trick he loved to use on me). He continued to look to the ground with his adorable little pout. Camera guy yelling and hooting, mama standing a few feet away bouncing and caw-cawing or something, I don't even know what I was doing but it was making everyone else laugh except Killu, who coolly looked aside, steady and sober. I reached for his face and ran back. Did this three times before he looked up, obviously unhappy and tortured.
SNAP