A couple of weeks ago, after visiting the doctor which is across the street from a mall, we decided to go get the kids a picture with Santa. Helena wasn’t primed for the event at all, so while walking up the ramp (which is built for a line of a thousand, despite the fact that we were the only people there), I told Helena that Santa was going to ask her what she wanted for Christmas. Helena hasn’t really talked about this at all. I think she is too young to understand it all…she’d be pretty happy with almost anything. She certainly doesn’t know “what is out there” as far as toys are concerned, but I didn’t think it would be too much trouble to get her to think of something. Anyhow, she gets on Santa’s lap, and when asked what she would like, she can’t think of anything. Since we are the only family there, Santa is very patient, and I’m trying to help her along rephrasing the question a thousand ways.

Liam is just staring at the camera because it keeps on flashing.

Santa then asks Helena if she would like a rat for Christmas…she says yes. So Santa asks her if she would like one or two. Helena is a kid, so she will have two.

I didn’t make too much of it, I’m just glad that she felt comfortable with Santa and didn’t make a scene. Plus I was still trying to figure out why the picture was $25+. We wen’t home soon afterward (we promised Helena ice cream, though, but we got that at the mall). I forget about the rat incident, and this is never mentioned again…I’m not even sure if Dalen ever knew about it.

Fast forward to last night, after Helena goes to the doctor to find out she has an ear infection. The doctor prescribes medication for both Helena and Liam, so they are at Walgreen’s waiting for the prescription to be filled. It is already past their bedtime, so they aren’t the happiest kids in the world. But Helena gets princess shoes…real cheap princess shoes. In fact, she had the same pair earlier this year, but they broke.

Tonight, she gets to wear them. She has them about 30 seconds and they begin to fall apart…she never even put them on when the medallion of Snow White fell off. She comes in to show me, and there isn’t anyway that it can be put on without it falling off again. I tell her that it actually looks better without it. But then the ribbon falls off it. She has not even put the shoe on yet. So, Dalen and I tell her that maybe she could ask Santa for new princess shoes.

Helena says, “Oh darn, I already asked Santa for a rat”.

I couldn’t believe it. Only once she said this did I remember her asking Santa for a rat.

But Dalen told her that maybe she can make a new list for Santa, and we can either mail it in or leave it by the tree. I’ll have to find her a rat, though. Apparently, she’s been waiting for one.