Baby gets us back.

For a few years now I've been saying that next year I won't take the kids for their annual visit to see Santa on a Saturday. When I looked at the family schedule this year, it became quite obvious that I was either going to take them on Saturday, or we would have to skip it.

So, last Saturday after swimming lessons, lunch, and haircuts for all 3 offspring...to the Santa line we went.

The kids were great in the line, playing nicely with each other and meeting with other kids. I have a love/hate relationship with these lines...on the one hand it sucks to have to wait in that line, but at the same time I love that Santa is visiting with each child and not just getting a picture and sending them on their way.

Finally we were at the front of the line and kids were wiggly with excitement, even Gabriel was cheerily waving to Santa. Then it was our turn...and well, Gabriel was not as excited once he was in place...

(side note: initially I thought this was cute, and I went ahead with the order because, well, this is what happened and I wanted to preserve that memory. But now it's our desktop background and everytime I look at it I feel guilty. I swear he was only there for 30seconds, just long enough to get that one shot.)

I pulled him off Santa's lap and gave him snuggles...the Santa gave him crayons and all was right with the world (to Mic Mac Mall staff...sorry about the drawing on the floor).

It's all good now though, because payback can be really funny. Last night, while the kids were supposed to be playing nicely in Grace's room, I found this:


And since Grace and Cameron really were playing in her room (you could hear them the whole time) and Phil and I were relaxing in the livingroom (big mistake there), there was only one possible suspect


Yep. And look how proud of himself he is. Monkey.