First: Visit Santa. Second: Shop.

On Thanksgiving Day-Josie and I watched the Macy's parade and got very excited at the end when Santa showed up. She's so excited and into Christmas this year-and what's even better is she's still confused about it being on one day-the whole month has been Christmas to her. So I don't have to count down the days or anything-I'm sure that will come next year. So-right now-she's telling everyone Merry Christmas, looking at the presents under the tree but not getting that most are for her, etc. It's a nice place to be.

Anyway-back to the parade. I told her we'd visit Santa and she could tell him what she wanted for Christmas.

"What do you want to ask Santa for?"--thinking she won't be able to come up with something and I'd have to help her.

"A Sleeping Beauty doll!" No hesitation.

I was stoked-what an easy request! And in the ads that day was a Sleeping Beauty doll on sale. Cool! (though it meant I HAD to shop that weekend.)

Just in case-I asked repeated the question several times. Every time-Sleeping Beauty. Nice.

Got the doll.

Over the course of the month-we'd talk about Santa and sometimes I'd ask her again what she wanted for Christmas.

"Purple!" huh?

"What should be get for Grandpa Joe?"

"Blue!"

hmmmmmm So-I'd remind her about Sleeping Beauty. "Oh, yeah. Sleeping Beauty."

Finally on the 22nd-I took Josie to see Santa. I met Mom and Josie there and they went to the D*sney store while they waited for me to get there.

We get in (a very long) line and I remind her about asking Santa.

"So-what are you going to ask him for?"

"Ariel!"

Turns out there is actually an Ariel toy that Josie doesn't have-and it was at the D*sney store. A store that I'm NOT going back to. Shopping-DONE!

So-I spend the time in line reminding her that she wants Sleeping Beauty because she has a lot of Ariels. Oh-and what about Mater? You don't have a Mater-maybe you should ask for MATER! (Can you tell what her Santa presents are?)

"Yeah-and I don't have Doc."

"Right-Doc. You should ask for Doc!"

She was so cute-she sat on his knee and smiled-but was so stiff and shy. After the picture-Santa asked her what she wanted. She leaned in close (and so did I cuz I could barely hear her whispering . . .)

"I want Ariel!"