We took the kids to get their picture taken with Santa Claus this weekend and got more than we bargained for.

We had checked times for Santa's availability (outlook calendar options don't make it to the North Pole).  We saw that on Sunday's he started work at noon.  We made plans to get there a little early and get a good spot in line.  Unfortunately, we ended up getting there right at noon and ended up being about the 30th people in line.

That normally wouldn't mean a wait of more than 100 minutes, but Santa apparently had other plans that day.

Santa was previously scheduled to be knighted at Medieval Times and so the photo production paused at 1:30.  A nice project manager working for the Santa Clause Photo Production Unit came to us and the 20 people behind us in line and told us that Santa would be shutting down photo production until 3PM.  He was going to be knighted at 2pm and we were invited to watch.  We would be given a number and could then come back at 3PM to get the pictures with Santa.  (mental head slap with a Candy Cain!)

So after waiting with the kids(who were all dressed in their best duds, and had amazingly not gotten dirty waiting in line, nor shat in their pants or puked on the floor, or thrown a tantrum or anything that had normally happened in years pasts when we had gone to visit Santa, we now had to wait another hour and a half before we could get back in line!

We thought it over and needed to do some shopping so we agreed.  The nice project manager wrote a big number 3 on my hand with a permanent marker (this went well with my jeans, sweater and sports jacket) and we headed out.  Now this is a 'Mills' variety of mall.  Kind of an outlet mall on extreme steroids.  It has a mile long track around the mall lined with stores.  The track is a circle.

We took off at a sprinting pace for my daughter Zoe, which is a brisk walk.  We checked in to a few stores, made the obligatory stop to see the puppies at the shelter, view the Bass Pro Shop fish tank, and half way around we ended up at Medieval Times.

We hadn't been there before so we ventured in(it was free) and the kids got to make a decorated crown and take pictures with the knights.  After 20 minutes we were getting kind of board and it was only 1:50, so we decided to pass on watching Santa get knighted.

We continued the circuit and eventually came to the bounce house (moonwalk) place.  We are platinum club members of the bounce house place and took the kids in to bounce.

Forty minutes later we walk out with three nicely dressed little kids that are very sweaty and dirty from bouncing around.  We continue the journey and eventually make it back to the Santa line at 10 minutes till 3.

We mill around hoping not to start a riot when other people learn that we and 20 other people get to cut in front of them.

The project manager lady comes back and starts asking for numbers, and you can see the oh' Shit look ripple through the faces of people that had come to stand in line awaiting Santa's return from an unknown break.

Santa strolled in around 3:10 after having his supper break too.  We were three, but one and two were no shows, so we were first.  None of the other parents burned us at the stake with flaming candy canes, which was good.  I hate the smell of burnt peppermint and hair.

The pictures took all of about 3 minutes.

All three kids smiled (a first) the kids got their coloring books, we paid the $28 for 3 pictures and had our digital versions on our own cameras and then went out through Bass Pro Shop buying a big bass pillow for Grandpa.

We came home and slept for 2 hours and that was that!