In her two short years on this planet, my toddler's relationship with Santa has been tumultuous at best.
Her first Christmas she threw up on him.
Her second Christmas...well, I've uploaded the photographic evidence from last year. She was horrified when she turned around and realized I put her in the lap of some white-bearded stranger. Traumatic.
Now this Christmas, she can't stand to look at anything that bears Santa's image on it. My parents eliminated all Santa ornaments and decorations from their house because Madeline wouldn't go into the room if they were there. She would hide. We haven't decorated our house yet for Christmas but chances are pretty good the Santa decor won't make it out of the Christmas closet this season.
"He's too scary," she says.
While shopping I found a pair of red Santa socks I thought might help break her Saint Nick phobia. I showed her the socks this morning, explaining that Santa is so nice because he brings us things like candy canes and Christmas trees - the only things she wants for Christmas.
She decided to put on the socks and admired them for awhile. But I pressed my luck. Later I hiked up her pant legs to show her daddy how far we'd come in our Santa sock therapy and she lost it, realizing she'd been duped.
"Take 'em off. I don't like them. I don't like Santa!," she cried, as she tried to pull them off herself.
I highly doubt I'll be able to get her to see Santa in person for our annual Christmas photo this year if she won't even look at a photo of him on a sock.
Why couldn't Santa look more like Elmo?
