Operation Santa Preparation

Operation Santa Preparation has been in full swing for about a week now. Starting last weekend, our family has been on a full-scale brainwashing mission with three clear objectives- to convince Katie Anne that ...



A) Santa is nice
B) She will sit on Santa's lap, and
C) She will take a good picture with Santa.

Operation Santa Preparation consists of four main tasks ...

1) Reading picture books about Santa. Lots and lots of picture books about Santa. These include, but are not limited to, Arthur's Christmas, Albert's Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Christmas at Our House, Christmas Morning, Not Until Christmas, Walter, and Merry Christmas Old Armadillo. We have read at least one picture book a day that features Santa... this is Santa desensitizing idea 1.

2) Looking up pictures of kids on the internet sitting on Santa's lap. Only happy kids who love Santa and smile for the pictures need apply. This is Santa desensitizing idea 2.







3) Talking about Santa... ad infinitum. We talk about Santa and how nice he is... Santa bringing us toys and surprises... Santa flying in a sleigh... Santa and the reindeer... Santa coming down chimneys... sitting on Santa's lap... smiling for Santa... saying "Ho ho ho"... hugging Santa... generally being happy in Santa's presence. This is Santa desensitizing idea 3.

4) Practice Santa time. This means that Saunders dressed up tonight as Santa in a suit we borrowed from his parents, which is made of "flannelette" and was purchased in 1995. I believe Saunders would've caught on fire if I'd lit a match anywhere near him while he was wearing his flannelette wonder suit. He came in and made a grand entrance, did a lot of "Ho ho ho", and let Katie Anne check out the beard, hat, etc. We posed for some pictures with Daddy/Santa, too. This is Santa desensitizing idea 4.

Santa makes his appearance!

Katie Anne is thinking, "Um, what is THAT?!"

Oh, could that be someone I know?
Oh, thank goodness! It's only Daddy!
Our own Santa, waiting on a Christmas flood.

I love Santa!

Our practice shot, complete with happy smile!

Why Operation Santa Preparation? Because tomorrow we're going to Breakfast with Santa, and we really hope Katie Anne does not freak out in the middle of a crowded room when Santa appears. We also hope to avoid the screaming, clawing, trying to climb inside Momma's sweater situation we had with the Chic-fil-A cow earlier this year. So, check back for tomorrow for an update on how Breakfast with Santa goes!