Eloise & Daphne meet Santa {2017}

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This year we kept up the tradition and ventured downtown to the Nordstrom Flagship store to see Santa. Each year we try to go pretty early in the month, but even though we went on the 8th, it was SO busy! You can’t make a reservation, but you can put your name on the waiting list to get a text message so you don’t actually have to stand in line for hours and hours and you can shop around.

We got there 10 minutes after opening (which was a Christmas miracle!) and there was already a long enough wait that we had to put our name on the waiting list… and we waited about an hour before we got the text to come to Santa’s shop, and then we waited another hour (!) in line. Seriously, we were getting antsy. But the girls did so, so well and Daphne even snoozed a bit while we waited (and it was her morning nap time, so that was good).

Eloise had already told me beforehand that she didn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, so we decided she could ride on the rocking horse again (like she did last year). And Eloise also asked Santa for a baby stroller, a scuba diver (that came out of nowhere!), and a chew toy for Baby Daphne. And then, very surprisingly, Eloise let Santa give her a hug!

As you can see, Daphne wasn’t really thrilled to see Santa. She was sleepy and I figured she would either be crying or have a paci in her mouth, but we just got stoic Daphne (which is rare).

See our past visits with Santa here: 2014 // 2015 // 2016.

Outfits: {Eloise: top: Cat and Jack // skirt: Oshkosh // shoes: Cat and Jack} {Daphne: sweater and skirt: Cat and Jack // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

Did you visit Santa this year?

M

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Eloise meets Santa {2016}

Per tradition, Eloise and I joined her friend Beatrice and her mama earlier this month to meet Santa downtown at Nordstrom. We loaded the girls into the car and headed down in the morning with Starbucks in hand hoping to beat the rush. The line wasn’t awful this year and it took just over an hour.

As we got closer to the front of the line and Santa came into view, Eloise was super interested in seeing the other kids sit on his lap and ask him for what they wanted for Christmas. I was hopeful but since Eloise had already told me that she didn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, I knew I wasn’t going to push her.

And by the time we got up to Santa, she was clinging to me like a baby monkey. Her friend Beatrice went first, but ended up in tears which made more Eloise upset. Somehow though I managed to get Eloise on a rocking horse and the photographer distracted her enough to move her back towards Santa and actually get a smile! And Eloise asked me to tell Santa what she wanted, so I made sure he got her list: 2 monkeys, a pickle, and a giraffe. Seriously. She talked about it the entire week before we went to see him!

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Maybe someday Eloise won’t be terrified of Santa? But then she also has been talking about Santa ever since she saw him… it’s a little confusing. And she kept asking where he parked! I told her the only place the sleigh and his reindeer would fit was on Nordstrom’s roof.

At what age did your kiddos get excited about seeing Santa?

M

And see Eloise with Santa for the past two years: 2015 & 2014.

Eloise meets Santa {2015}!

We went down to see Santa at the downtown Nordstrom with our friend Beatrice last year {see that picture here} & decided to make it a tradition! This Santa Claus is a particularly busy one, so we have opted to always go early in December so I can include copies of pictures with some of our Christmas cards {but not so early, like on Black Friday, when there is an 8 hour wait!}.

This year we headed down on December 1st & tried to get there as soon as the doors opened. We weren’t the first in line, but didn’t have too many people in line in front of us. Even still, the entire thing took about 90 minutes, & it was right during nap time, so I was just waiting for a meltdown to happen {&, spoiler alert!, a tiny one did}. Eloise was really into the decorations & lights, but was pretty antsy the entire time. The kid just does not want to stay still {& I don’t blame her!}.

As you can see below, Eloise was very stoic at first, & then she got really sad.

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So we called it good with the first picture & Eloise was much happier to roam around Santa’s workshop/window display while we waited for Beatrice to sit on Santa’s lap {that also didn’t happen & B was not happy to see Santa either!}.

Do your littlest love or hate Santa Claus? I always feel so bad for Santa when he has to pose with kiddos who really just don’t want to sit with him!

M