Meeting Santa: And to think I was worried about a few germs and some pee...

I always kind of assumed that Banner's first meeting with Santa would be at the mall.  This both thrilled and disgusted me.  On one hand, it is SANTA.  But, on the other, mall Santas seem kinda like biohazards.  I mean, he is probably fine and all.  I'm just wary of anyone who handles that many children during cold and flu season.  True, he wears gloves.  But you can't hear THAT many Christmas lists without being peed on at least once or twice every hour or so.  Because nothing says, "PLEASE RELEASE YOUR BOWELS" to the newly potty trained like a giant stranger in a red, fur suit.

Or maybe it is just me.

Anyway, pee or no pee, I was still committed to getting Banner an audience with Mr. Claus (hey, it builds immunity).  And I had started planning my trip to the mall when my dad volunteered to set up an appointment at the local country club for last Sunday.

Because, you know, Santa gets around.

And, for the record, I am sure country club Santas are also subjected to bodily fluids and an unhealthy influx of germs.  But the Santa at the DCC came with a holding room filled with baked goodies, apple cider and hot coco.  The Polar Express was even being played on a loop on the humongous projection screen on the wall.

I am pretty sure all you get at the mall (besides the croup and plague) is a long line with disgruntled parents and screaming toddlers.

Plus, we got to make a day of it and also have brunch at the club with Amy, Adam and my dad.  Which is when we learned of Banner's apparent love of all things ginger snap and gold fish.  He ate an embarrassing number of both along with a hodgepodge of other goodies from my plate and snacks from home.

And then Trevor and Adam played one, two, three, SWING! with Banner.

Banner LOVES this game.

So it really should not be a surprise when I tell you that Banner projectile vomited all over the Santa holding room just as the lady with the very official looking clip board came to tell us that they were ready for our little guy.

The good news is that I saw/heard it coming, and somehow managed to keep the bulk of the mess off of Banner and myself (I was holding him).  And I didn't even gag, which is really saying something since I've always been a sympathy puker.  There are somethings that even motherhood can't cure...unless, well, I am horribly embarrassed and in crisis mode.  Which, luckily for the ballroom rug at the DCC, I was.

Thankfully, Trevor has a stomach of steal and did the bulk of the cleaning while I focused on making Banner presentable again.  I would like to think that I did such a good job that Mr. and Mrs. Claus would have been blissfully unaware of the situation had it not been for my sister announcing that Banner had just thrown up everywhere in the holding room the second we walked in the door.

(Thanks Amy.)

But as always, I digress.

Here (drum roll please) are Banner's first pictures with jolly ole Saint Nick:

At first he was a little unsure, but warmed up quickly thanks a teething necklace and a whole lot of embarrassing off stage shenanigans by his parents, aunt, uncle and grandpa.