Christmas Adventure With Levi
For years now my mom, sister-in-law, and grandma have gotten together to go Christmas shopping in Oklahoma City. I missed out on going with them the three Christmas' we lived in New York, but was always taunted by the Cheesecake Factory picture :) Since we are back in OK I was able to join in on the shopping fun for a day this year. The event as a whole has not changed much over the years (except that now we are buying for a LOT more kiddos), but this was the first year to ever take kids along. I learned a few things both about shopping with kids and about my insane two year old.
I have been told that Levi resembles Ralphy from "A Christmas Story" a few times lately. He's blond, round faced, blue-eyed, and has an ornery look most of the time. I get the resemblance for sure, but there are moments when I'm terrified that he may really be Ralphy.
Every Christmas Eve I try to take in the movie "A Christmas Story" at least once during it's 24 hour marathon. Sometimes it takes me a couple attempts which annoys Ross, because this is not his favorite Christmas movie. But my family watched it every year and one of my favorite parts is when Ralphy is telling Santa what he wants for Christmas.
Ralphy has it all planned out before he is placed on Santa's lap. He wants a Red Rider BB gun and has the speech to go along with it. But when his is sat on Santa's lap, he draws a blank and numbingly nods along when Santa asks if he wants a "nice football". He is then pushed down the slide to move along when he suddenly remembers to ask for the BB gun. He stops himself from going down the slide and begins his plea to Santa for his gift wish. Santa's response is the line of the movie, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." I laugh every year, but this year I may laugh harder.
Levi doesn't know much about Santa Claus. He just learned his name thanks to some displays in Target one afternoon. I told him that Santa brings presents for Christmas and left it at that. Ross wasn't raised with Santa as a part of Christmas and we hadn't decided how we were going to address it with our kids, so I thought that would work. Except my child doesn't forget anything. His memory scares me (not as much as him quietly telling me "The end is coming", but that's another blog…). So here we are at the mall and he see the Santa. He was totally enamored. The crying that had been happening for hours from a lack of nap and being strapped into a stroller suddenly stopped. He loved that man in his costume. He "needed" to see him.
We had a couple stores to visit, so we did that first and then we headed to see Santa. Levi was clawing to get out of his stroller and my Mamaw asked him what he was going to tell Santa he wanted for Christmas. Levi pointed at one of the large present props and said, "I want THAT!" And off he went.
Levi has some stranger anxiety at moments. He just stares at them and won't speak, which is rare because he talks NONSTOP on a regular basis. Not with this Santa guy. He ran right up to him without any of us following him and climbed right on his lap. I stood off to the side and I wish I had gotten closer so I could hear what they were talking about, because Levi was listening so intently. Levi told him that he wanted that same prop present and got his peppermint candy and walked to me. He was a changed child from what we had previously.
I sent Levi to stand with my mom and Mamaw while I chose a picture of Levi and Santa. I was getting ready to pay when I saw Levi running back through the set to get to Santa. I quickly look for my mom, questioning why he was running loose and she tells me that it was okay. I paid and went to meet Levi at the exit and he happily hopped back into the stroller. When I asked my mom why he went back in, she said that he told her that he had to tell Santa he wanted a gun. He just HAD to.
Not only does my child look like Ralphy, but now he is throwing himself back to Santa to request a gun. He is not getting a real gun for Christmas or any time soon, but I will be teaching him to say "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"
I have been told that Levi resembles Ralphy from "A Christmas Story" a few times lately. He's blond, round faced, blue-eyed, and has an ornery look most of the time. I get the resemblance for sure, but there are moments when I'm terrified that he may really be Ralphy.
Levi looks oddly similar at times.
Every Christmas Eve I try to take in the movie "A Christmas Story" at least once during it's 24 hour marathon. Sometimes it takes me a couple attempts which annoys Ross, because this is not his favorite Christmas movie. But my family watched it every year and one of my favorite parts is when Ralphy is telling Santa what he wants for Christmas.
Ralphy has it all planned out before he is placed on Santa's lap. He wants a Red Rider BB gun and has the speech to go along with it. But when his is sat on Santa's lap, he draws a blank and numbingly nods along when Santa asks if he wants a "nice football". He is then pushed down the slide to move along when he suddenly remembers to ask for the BB gun. He stops himself from going down the slide and begins his plea to Santa for his gift wish. Santa's response is the line of the movie, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." I laugh every year, but this year I may laugh harder.
Levi doesn't know much about Santa Claus. He just learned his name thanks to some displays in Target one afternoon. I told him that Santa brings presents for Christmas and left it at that. Ross wasn't raised with Santa as a part of Christmas and we hadn't decided how we were going to address it with our kids, so I thought that would work. Except my child doesn't forget anything. His memory scares me (not as much as him quietly telling me "The end is coming", but that's another blog…). So here we are at the mall and he see the Santa. He was totally enamored. The crying that had been happening for hours from a lack of nap and being strapped into a stroller suddenly stopped. He loved that man in his costume. He "needed" to see him.
We had a couple stores to visit, so we did that first and then we headed to see Santa. Levi was clawing to get out of his stroller and my Mamaw asked him what he was going to tell Santa he wanted for Christmas. Levi pointed at one of the large present props and said, "I want THAT!" And off he went.
Levi has some stranger anxiety at moments. He just stares at them and won't speak, which is rare because he talks NONSTOP on a regular basis. Not with this Santa guy. He ran right up to him without any of us following him and climbed right on his lap. I stood off to the side and I wish I had gotten closer so I could hear what they were talking about, because Levi was listening so intently. Levi told him that he wanted that same prop present and got his peppermint candy and walked to me. He was a changed child from what we had previously.
I sent Levi to stand with my mom and Mamaw while I chose a picture of Levi and Santa. I was getting ready to pay when I saw Levi running back through the set to get to Santa. I quickly look for my mom, questioning why he was running loose and she tells me that it was okay. I paid and went to meet Levi at the exit and he happily hopped back into the stroller. When I asked my mom why he went back in, she said that he told her that he had to tell Santa he wanted a gun. He just HAD to.
Shout out to the Penn Square Mall Santa.
Not only does my child look like Ralphy, but now he is throwing himself back to Santa to request a gun. He is not getting a real gun for Christmas or any time soon, but I will be teaching him to say "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"
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