The Big Man in the Red Suit.

The plan was to go downtown to have some sushi and then watch the Santa Claus parade.  Sonja was stoked, to put it mildly.  It had nothing to do with sushi.


We were all ready to go: coats on, diaper bag packed, tummies rumbling.  Haven was not impressed with the whole idea and voiced her objections quite soundly.  We decided to take both our vehicles so that if Haven needed to go home, I could make a quick exit.  Good idea, since by the time we arrived downtown, Haven was asleep and I knew there would be no sushi and parade for me.  Not a big deal.  Peter missed out on trick-or treating because Haven had to go home, so it was a chance for Sonja and Peter to have some great Daddy-Daughter time.  


But I wish I could have seen Sonja's little face when Santa finally arrived at the end of the parade.  She came home, practically burst through the door in excitement, and proclaimed that Santa had waved to her.  She also said that reindeer live in the woods and that they are now very tired and are probably home having a bath.  


Sonja's interest in Santa began last year when we took this book out of the library:

We renewed it three times and I was singing "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" well into January, even though Sonja would tell me that "Santa gone home now."  She loved the book so much that I bought it for her this year, which means that we have been reading/singing it for the last few weeks.


What started out as in interest in Santa has bloomed into an almost obsessive barrage of questions, asked in quick-fire succession: "What's Santa doing?"  "Where's Santa going?"  (Sonja is always very concerned about what people and things are doing and where they may be going.  She asks me all the time what cars, trucks, snow, people, trees, dogs, anything at all are doing and where they are going.)  "Does Santa have a house?"  "Is Santa's house red?"  "Does Santa have a sleigh?"  "Is Santa magic?"  "Does Santa land on the roof?"  "And he never falls off?"  "Do Santa's reindeer fly?"  "Santa comes from the North Poll?"  "And he's very busy?"  ...well, you get the idea.


So you can see why I would have liked to see her reaction when she finally saw the Big Man in the Red Suit.  Luckily there will be another Santa Claus parade in Esquimalt in early December, so hopefully I will be able to snap some photos as well.


Christmas 2008:

Christmas 2009:

As for Haven and me, we came home, I gave her a bath, then we had a little dance party until her proper bedtime.  Haven loves to be held while I dance (and sing) to very loud, funky and/or upbeat music.  Tonight's selections included Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" and Haven's favourite (and mine), Nikka Costa's "Everyone Got Their Something".  I dare you to play them loud and not dance.  You're welcome.