Circle of Life

It's official. Summer is now over and my weekly schedule has returned to somewhat normal. This morning I dropped off Benjamin at his new school and headed back to an empty house. How nice.

So I have to tell you about another one of those moments of parental realization for me that happen last week.

I took Benjamin to school to meet his new teachers and talk with them about how he is as an active boy. For the most part it went well. He seemed like he would do fine when school started and he gave his teachers a warning shot of his active nature.

While Benjamin was busy playing with the new toys he found in his classroom the teacher asked me to fill out the emergency contact info and other last minute forms. I didn't think much about it and took the forms to one of the tables in the classroom and squatted into one of the miniature chairs to fill out the information. Then it hit me. Wait a minute. The teacher got me into a midget chair.

At this point my mother is laughing loudly while reading this entry. There is a story that she likes to tell about how I got her into a midget chair when I was in second grade.
Back in the day, I was known as the class clown. I know shocker. Well apparently I considered music class my chance to dazzle my classmates with my stand-up routines instead of learning my do, re, fa, so la, ti do.

So when it came time for parent/teacher conference day all of my teachers lined up for an inquisition of my mother. To this day she still talks about how when she walked into the room there were three big chairs and one midget chair. That's when she was hit with a barrage of attacks on how I wasn't taking the lessons seriously. She said she felt so belittled just by the simple fact that she had to sit in a midget and take the attack I caused.

Fast forward 27 years. As I was writing down my cell phone number a wave of memories hit me. And the feeling of being a parent settled in. I was now sitting in a midget chair in my son's classroom. Thankfully he hadn't been there long enough for me to endure what my mother endured with Mrs. Boone, Mrs. Gonzales and Mr. Campbell.

In-touch at 34,000 Ft.

This past weekend I flew up to Milwaukee with Benjamin to see my grandmother on Orlando-based Airtran. I had never flown Airtran before and was unfamiliar with their new program of offering wireless internet on board their flights.

Traveling with Benjamin on a 2:40 flight was different this time than it was when we flew last summer considering he runs around now. I didn't think having WiFi during the flight would be anything great. I mean who has time to watch silly YouTube clips at a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet when Mr. Crankypants wants to run up to first class to see what all the fuss is about.

Well count me a fan of airborne WiFi. That is because I realized how valuable it was on the way back. The flight up was a bit painful for my mom and I because I didn't correctly transfer Benjamin's TV shows over to my iPhone and he needed some entertainment.

While we were flying back I gladly accepted the $6.95 charge to use the WiFi just to access YouTube and fire up some clips of the Backyardigans. Since I always keep my phone fully stocked with media I had no room left to purchase and download shows directly from my iPhone before boarding the flight so YouTube was my only option. And it worked.

Yeah yeah I know electronic babysitter but have you ever enjoyed being on a plane with a screaming baby?

Well I wasn't playing the Backyardigans for the entire flight as Benjamin kept turning around to play peek-a-boo with the little boy seated behind us. During those times I was able to try out the rest of the internet including talking with Cathy via a Facebook chat session. She was driving back from a babyshower in Tampa and was able to check in on how Benjamin was doing during the flight which I think made her feel better.

I was also able to send out some email which I couldn't do earlier on the ground as I was running around with Benjamin at our gate.

I did try using Skype to make a call but the sound was horrible. I first tried calling my friend Robert who was online but it went to his voicemail. I then called Skype's test call number to hear how my voice sounded to someone on the other end. While I was able to clearly hear the British woman's voice recording informing me to speak after the beep to check for clarity I could only hear burps and bleeps of my voice on playback. So fear not travelers who don't want phones to be used on flights. It's still not there.

Overall the WiFi feature onboard Airtran is nice for those who would like to be able to conduct a little business. The good news is that you aren't completely accessible to the world. So business travelers who want to be productive but undisturbed for a couple of hours can now do so.

Now can we just get a children's play area with sound proof walls on all flights?

Getting Away from the NBA

The orginal plan was for us to drive to DC the Thursday before Memorial Day to see friends. Then we'd drive to Hitlin Head Island for a few days at the beach.

That all changed when the Magic beat the Celtics and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

After shooting Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers I packed up the family and drove to Hilton Head for four days of rest during an otherwise busy week.

As some may remember we came to Hitlon Head for our "babymoon" when Cathy was almost seven months pregnant. We stayed with my cousin Amy's in-laws Lynne and Blaine Lotz.

The Lotzs have always welcomed us and we've appreciated their hospitality. This was very true this time around considering we brought the monkey man with us. Benjamin was all over the place and let everyone in the house know it.

We had a very nice time while on the island but wished the Magic could've won Game 5 so we could've stayed until Sunday.

Benjamin loved his first trip to the beach. He couldn't get enough of playing in the sand or feeling the waves crash over him.

So here I am writing this entry while riding back to Orlando to shoot Game 6. All I can think about is sitting on the beach, listening to the waves while watching my son play. It's great to be a dad.

Haircut or Torture?

This morning we took Benjamin down to the place where I get my hair cut to give him his first official trim. In the past Cathy had cut his golden locks but this time we thought it might be best to have Denise do it.

You would've thought we were plucking the kids toenails out by the way he cried. To also be fair he had just fallen asleep in the car and only got a 15-minute nap in when we got him out of the backseat.

He squirmed and cried making it very difficult for Denise to do her job. I was amazed at how well she was able to cut the mullet away into a nice hair cut. He no longer looks like an unruly surfer kid but instead like the adorable little boy that we love.

I made sure to tip Denise very well and apologized to everyone in the salon for his crying but they seemed to understand. It also didn't hurt that he tried flirting with more than one of the ladies in the store.

Excited for Poop

A few weeks ago we noticed that Benjamin was giving us signs that he might be ready to start potty training. We found that he would take the small basket in which we drop his wet diapers and set the basket on top of the garbage can in the kitchen. Another time he went into his room and came out with a new diaper to show us he needed to be changed.

So Cathy went out and got him his first training potty which was of course Elmo. We sort of just left it in our bathroom not really knowing how we would introduce it to him. Then he started to go to it and sit down if he saw one of us go in to our water closet.

I tried sitting him down a couple of times and mimicking the grunts he makes right before one of his dirty diapers and I think he got the concept he just wasn't ready to go.

Well yesterday morning I decided that I was going to have a breakthrough with him right after breakfast. This kid is like clockwork every morning. About five minutes after he finishes breakfast he always starts to squat and grunt. So I decided that Friday morning we'd go straight to the potty after his breakfast and wait for nature to take its course.

I sat there with him and turned the pages of his Elmo book while he sat on the potty. He seemed entertained with the whole reading on the potty part. In fact, Benjamin took the book from me and looked through it all by himself trying to figure out how Elmo got back to Sesame Street.

Then I noticed him tinkling and it was going into the potty. And then I saw the poop. I had never been so happy to see poop as I was at that moment. I lifted my naked man up in to the air and he and Daddy celebrated.

As I took him back to his room (I forgot to bring the wipes over) I kept giving him positive reenforcement of what he'd just accomplished. "Yeah, Benjamin! Yeah, you used the potty," I said lifting him up in the air as he smiled.

Wiping is so much easier with the potty compared to when it's in the diaper. And the best part was I got to put the old (still dry) diaper back on him.

It was yet another point in my life where I realized that parenthood is so different than my life before. Nowadays I get teary-eyed over a little pile of poop in a little potty that doesn't even flush. Before I'd be equally excited about getting second row seats to U2 (don't get me wrong I got excited earlier this week when my tickets for U2's Tampa concert came in the mail). This just feels greater because I'm impacting my son's life and not just my own.

A Great Easter

Cathy and I hosted Easter lunch for my parents at the house yesterday. It was nice to see my step sister Gina and her husband Jose who drove over with my Dad and Sylvia. Needless to say Benjamin had a built in audience for his new performance which I captured on video.

He started doing this flipping thing this past week while sitting on the couch with Cathy and I. We don't know from where he learned this but he keeps doing it and yesterday my dad (no pun intended) put a new twist on it.

Here's the video. Enjoy.

Meeting a Star

Yesterday was one of those days since becoming a dad that were special. I took Benjamin to Epcot so we could spend some time with Cathy's cousin, Orietta, and her family while they went around the park. Right as we entered I saw guests lined up to have their picture taken with the character Stitch. How perfect.

For some reason Benjamin has always been drawn to Stitch. It's one of those mysteries of the world. He has two little Stitches at home that he takes everywhere with him and always has to go to bed with them. His Baka and Nono also bought him a medium and large sized versions as well. So he is a huge fan of Stitch and for me to be able to introduce him to his buddy was special.

We waited patiently in line to have our pictures taken with the blue alien when all of a sudden Stitch walked away. I guess it was time for a break (ya gotta love those union rules). About five minutes later he reappeared which was a big relief for me.

The family in front of us finished having their photo session when Benjamin looked up and saw a live version of his best buddy. I can't think of a time when he had a bigger smile on his face. You could see it in his eye. He couldn't believe he was with the real Stitch. He kept wanting to touch him and hold him. To Stitch's credit he was patient with him as well as me. I had Orietta's son Pete snapping pictures on my iPhone so I could email pictures immediately and his dad Richard taking better resolution pictures with my point and shoot.

After a few minutes I realized I was turning into one of THOSE dads who hogs up all the time with the character and doesn't allow the other families to get their moments. So we wrapped the photo shoot and that's when I traumatized my son.

Benjamin couldn't understand why he had to leave his buddy. I know he was thinking, "Come on Dad we just met Stitch. I want to hang out with him for a while."Then the crying began. Fortunately he was quickly distracted with something else.

Yesterday was definitely one of those days where I created another memory with my son. What a way to start my week.

My Lefty Legacy

  I am a very proud lefty. It's who I am and I've always felt I was special for being left-handed. My grandmother was a lefty. My great Uncle Doug is a lefty. So it's only fitting that I would want to pass that left-handed gene on to another generation.

  Over the last few months I've noticed Benjamin beginning to show a bias to his left hand when picking up objects or throwing (which thankfully he hasn't broken anything...yet). He likes to pick up his whiffle ball and throw it with his left hand. When he wants to show us an object he presents it to us with his left hand.

  There has been much research on southpaws over the years. Studies have shown that many Nobel winners and U.S. Presidents have been lefties. In fact, 6 of the last 14 Presidents have been left-handed dating all the way back to Herbert Hoover in 1929. (My Uncle Ron is smiling right now.) Considering lefties make up 7-10% of the population that's a pretty interesting statistic on Presidents.

  As Benjamin was starting to show this bias I piped up to Cathy, "See he's doing it with his left."

  To which she replied, "Honey, I don't care if he's left or right-handed."

  So typical. You righties don't care because you're not left-handed. You don't know what it's like to live in our world. To have almost every tool or object designed for you're non-dominant hand. To not be able to work on an art project in elementary school because they can't buy one pair of left-handed scissors for the weird kid. Or learning to catch a baseball at PE with a mitt on your left hand, hold the ball in your right so you can quickly toss the glove off your left hand and throw it home.

  We are special in many ways. Many artist and creatives are left-handed. So are intellectuals. I just hope that I can share my specialness with my son. That and develop a mean slider so he can get a fat, guaranteed contract and Daddy can retire early.

Mr. Big Head

  Yesterday was Benjamin's 15-month birthday (yes we're first-time parents and count every month) which meant we were going to the pediatrician's office today for his checkup. Cathy and I had a feeling he'd be low in the weight percentile and close to the 50th percentile for height.
We weren't too far off. Benjamin's statistics were:

Weight 21 lbs. 13 oz. 10%
Height 30 3/4" 40%
Head Size 48 75%

  The doctor suggested we try adding some Carnation instant breakfast to Benjamin's milk to add some calories as well as key vitamins to his daily diet. I told him how he sometimes eats like a bird and then like a wolf. The thing that keeps his weight mostly down is his energy level. He goes full-tilt every waking minute. I think he also gets Cathy's metabolism.
  What I wasn't expecting was his ranking on head size. 75th!!! The doctor said that they measure that to make sure he doesn't have water on the brain but not to worry he's fine. "Just tell your wife it's because he has a developing brain." (Again I hope he gets his mother's brains otherwise I'm going to be making several trips to see the music teacher at school.)

Just a Little off the Sides

  Yesterday we finally gave Benjamin his much-needed first haircut. Lately he's been looking a little trashy with his mullet. Cathy wanted to do it after a bath but needed me to help to distract Benjamin while she snipped his golden locks. He has really beautiful, soft blonde hair and we didn't want to lose that. Now looking at him with it trimmed up he looks so much better.

  We put him in his high and brought it in to his room. I grabbed some pictures of Benjamin at the beginning while Cathy trimmed around his ears. He had looks of concern about what exactly was going on around him but seemed alright. Then it came time to cut off the mullet in the back.

  I put down the camera and started to play with my son. Nothing too exciting but enough for him to lean forward and allow Cathy to cut the hair around the back. He watched Daddy kiss his foot and laughed as he tried to stick his finger in Daddy's mouth.

  Once it was all done, Cathy and I stepped back and evaluated her beautician skills. "Not bad," I told her.

  It kind of made it special for us that we gave Benjamin his first hair cut and at the same time scary at what the potential outcome could've been. Cathy thinks it accentuates his attractive head. (I know it sounds weird but he does have a good looking keppellah.)

  Thankfully his first haircut wasn't traumatic to either Benjamin or his parents. And in the end our good-looking kid looks even better.

Sick Day

  Over the weekend I caught a cold and it festered over the last couple of days. Last night it spread to the rest of the family. Cathy for the most part is fine but it's only the first day of what will develop into a head cold. Benjamin however kept waking up last night because he couldn't breath and was tired. 

  So today I've resolved that I will not get any work done and my main priority is to keep Benjamin entertained and comfortable. This morning while he was running around the house in his usual monkey man demeanor I decided to record his funny faces. 

  He's always been fascinated with the little boy  in the mirror but recently it's been more entertaining to watch him. So forgive me for not writing about something more interesting but I thought this was cute. 

Fine Dining

  Last night Cathy, Benjamin and I met up with my cousin Darryl and his wife Charlotte for dinner. We decided on Maggiono's on International Drive as it was convenient for us both. 

  Darryl and Charlotte flew down from Delaware for her birthday and so Darryl could attend the PGA Show this week in Orlando. It was just nice to be able to visit with them as we haven't seen them since their wedding in Boston four years ago. 

  I have to say that Benjamin for the most part was a well-behaved 14-month-old. He ate like a horse through the entire two-your meal and I only had to take him for a walk twice. In all not bad. 

  Benjamin got some special treatment and of course flirted with all the ladies. (I mean come on no one can resist those blue eyes of his.) I had the server quickly bring out the chicken fingers with mash potatoes and broccoli while the rest of the table decided what they wanted for their dinner.

  He loved the chicken, mash and broccoli. Eventually when Cathy and I got our entrees he wanted to try what we had before eating his dessert cookies (which daddy had to try).

  When it was time for Benjamin to stretch his legs I quietly took him to the lobby and let him run like the monkey he is. He would run down the banquet room hallway before turning around and head for the front door. To his credit he never yelled out while running past the booked banquet rooms.

  By the end of dinner though he was ready for bed. He had an exhausting day at school, Gymboree and dinner with family. I signed the bill, picked up my little boy and headed for the door. At the table next to us were a party of eight who looked like they were in town for the PGA Show. One of the gentlemen said to me as I was passing, "He's a really good boy."

  "Who? My kid?," I replied. "Were you in the same dining room as us because I thought he was disruptive with all the squaking."

  The man responded, "No he was quiet."

  So I guess I was overly sensitive to Benjamin's noises during the dinner. 

  It was really good to see Darryl and Charlotte and to introduce them to Benjamin. Hopefully next time won't be so far in the future.

Helping to Remember

Dear Benjamin,

  I know that you will never remember for yourself what happened yesterday but I wanted to let you know what you were like on the day of President Barak Obama's Inauguration.

  The day began routinely for you. It was very chilly and you had your normal waffle and milk for breakfast. Afterwards you ran around the house like the wild man you have turned in to recently. Around 10:30 you had tired yourself out and went to bed for a nap. For the next hour I wondered if you'd be up in time to watch President Obama take the oath of office.

  As 11:30 am rolled around I called our neighbor and your friend Bella's mom to let her know that you were still napping and that we wouldn't be over until later for your playdate.

  At 11:45 am I decided I needed to wake you up out of your sleep to witness history. For the record, I did feel a slight bit of guilt as I know how much you need your rest.

  Boy were you bewildered when I woke you. You had this expression as if you wanted to say, "Dad, what's going on? Why'd you wake me? To watch TV?"

  We went out to the living room and sat on the ottoman and watch the live broadcast of the Inauguration. You actually sat very still for once. Usually you squirm and want to be let down to run around like a monkey but you politely sat there and watched the television.

  During the ceremony cellist Yo Yo Ma played a piece that was beautiful and you stared at the TV. As the song ended you started to clap without any coaxing which kind of stunned me. You looked at me as if to say, "Come on, Dad. Clap!"

  It was really neat to have this moment with you. I wasn't at a job or shooting some assignment. I got to witness history with you in my arms.

  You will have many sad days that are historic during your life. Your grandparents will tell you precisely where they were when Kennedy was assassinated. I will tell you about how I called your Great Granny to make a lunch date with her only to have her inform me that a jetliner crashed into the World Trade Center. But today was truly a happy day in History.

  There will be so many things that happen in your life that you will be able to remember on your own but I know this will not be one of them. And for that I will serve as your memory with this entry. It is because I want you to be able to say with conviction that you watched the day President Obama took the oath of office of the Presidency. I guess it's also a bit of selfishness on my part because I hope that you will tell your grandchildren one day that you watched it with your dad.

Magical First

  Saturday we took Benjamin to Disney's Magic Kingdom for the first time. Sergio was able to get us in to the park for free like he has done at the other parks for Benjamin. It also allowed me to have him take a picture of the three of us which is a rarity for me as I'm usually the one taking the picture.

  The park was packed but wasn't bad for us as we weren't going on any of the rides. We ended up walking around the park and enjoying the wonderful weather.

  Almost right after we entered the park Benjamin was hungry. We grabbed hot dogs for us and corndog nuggets for Benjamin and found a table outside. It was during lunch that we discovered that Benjamin requires dinner theatre in order to woof down a meal. He was fascinated with the ducks surrounding our table and just kept eating anything we put in front of him. I just wish he'd do that for me during the week.

  After lunch we found a hidden gem inside the Magic Kingdom. Around the corner from Main Street USA Disney has set up a baby center. The center is there for newborns as well as older babies complete with a heated changing room, nursing area and rocking chairs. Heck if you run out of diapers or need a new pacifier they have those too. Cathy and I felt like we could've stayed just in the baby center for the afternoon.

  We took Benjamin through the park and wound up at the Winnie the Pooh playground. This was perfect. It had stuff Benjamin could crawl around and under including Pooh's house. The ground was a rubbery pad that wouldn't hurt if he fell which is always a possibility when it comes to my son.

  The playground pooped him out as well as us. We walked around tomorrow land for a little while before heading out after a good four-hour visit. To our delight he ended up taking a 3+ hour nap that afternoon.

  We had a fun time with him at the park and feel very fortunate that we don't have to pay admission. It's one of the gifts that my father-in-law can give Benjamin whenever. I look forward to a day when Benjamin will be big enough to ride on Splash Mountain or be bored when I tell him about the first time I rode Thunder Mountain railroad with Mimi and Grandpa. But all those times will come after his first time and this time was great.

It Wouldn't be Christmas Without a Cold

  Yesterday we had an enjoyable Christmas as a family. Benjamin developed a cold this week and it seemed to really get worse on Christmas Eve. So much so that it felt like Christmas Eve 2007 as we were getting up every two hours tending to our little guy.

  So Cathy and I were a little weary when morning came around. We ate breakfast together as a family before going to the front room to open gifts. I don't think Benjamin understood what was going on as he just wanted to run around the house. 

  We had fun exchanging our gifts and watching Benjamin play with the toys he received. I think his favorite toy was a train that my Aunt Dorothy sent him. He was a bit impatient as Cathy tried to remove it from the box. Eventually he went down for a nap and allowed Cathy and I to prepare for the grandparents.

  By the time the in-laws and my mom arrived Benjamin was up from his nap and had a hearty lunch. He came running out to see his grandparents as if he was a fit of health. It looks like this kid already knows how to work his grandparents. 

  The lunch was a nontraditional one. Cathy baked a lasagna and we had the grandparents bring some side dishes. After lunch we headed back to the living room for round 2 of gift-giving. 

  We told everyone not to buy Benjamin any toys this year as he has too many already. But that didn't stop the grandparents from getting him things for him with which to play. Thankfully he did receive clothes and books which were on the gift list.

  Last night was a bit rough trying to get Benjamin to go to sleep. It too felt like last year as we headed out to look at Christmas lights in the hopes of calming Benjamin who was exhausted and unable to go to bed due to his stuffy nose and coughing.

 It worked thankfully and in the process I think solidified our family's first tradition. You see I've been thinking about what traditions I wanted to start with my family. When I was a kid my mom and I had a tradition of going to the movies on Christmas day. My dad and I made a tradition of going to watch the Bucs' training camp every August. These traditions are sentimental to me as they help me define my childhood. These types of traditions are things I wanted to try and create with my family. I just never expected it would be Benjamin who would be the one to establish the first tradition. Life is truly special when it's unexpected.

The Host with the Most

  Last night Benjamin and I hosted his friends from Gymboree for a little Christmas get together at Westyn Bay's Clubhouse. This was brought about because of the Halloween Party.

  Some of the moms and I were talking at class a few weeks ago that we should try and do something during the holidays instead of attending the Gymboree Christmas party.  We felt that while the Halloween party was fun, it seemed like it was geared more to the two-year-olds than our one-year-olds.

  So Melinda and I started talking about what options we had for throwing our Alt. Gymbo Xmas Bash. I suggested having it at our community room in our subdivision. That way none of us had to host it our our homes. Listen the last thing I wanted to to do on a week when Cathy's away on work is to clean the entire house for a party. All I had to do was fill out a reservation form and give them a security deposit which was totally refundable if we didn't trash it (which is always in the realm of possibility with a baby).

  Melinda spearheaded the email list and coordinating the potluck portion while I handled the location.

  In total we had nine of our Gymbo babies come to the party along with their parents. It gave the parents a chance to visit while our little ones got to play which wasn't possible at the Halloween party. Not to mention the room only had one outlet and indoor/outdoor carpet so it was essentially baby proofed.

  Each parent brought a dish and a play toy so that our little guys (and it was all boys at the party BTW) could be entertained while we stuffed our faces.

  I baked some mini pigs-in-a-blanket which were a hit. Others brought food from Panera or made cookies and spinach dip. Benjamin ate like a horse having four of my hotdogs, some chicken tetrazzini and part of a banana. 

  By the time the party was slowing down Benjamin was running out of gas and I had my mom take him back to the house for bedtime while I helped clean. 

  In this busy season of holiday parties and friendly get togethers, it was nice to have one less formal with a lot of screaming, crying and spitting up.

Spiderman?

  Ever since Benjamin started crawling and subsequently walking we improvised a containment strategy. The plan consisted of using the sectional sofa, entertainment center and sliding glass doors. By sliding the ottoman over to the sliders and end table as well as using his pack-n-play as the other gate by the sofa and entertainment center we successfully made a play area for him that was safe large enough for him to play with his toys. That was until this week.

  As I was working in my office I heard Benjamin playing in what has come to be called the Kiddie Corral. Then what I heard was part scary but it also made me proud. I heard giggling and footsteps. I turned around to find Benjamin standing in the doorway of my office smiling and clapping. He had freed himself from the Corral.

  I wondered how he'd done it. I looked and the Kiddie Corral was as I had left it. He must've climbed on the sofa and walked to the end before climbing down. But how?

  Last night I watched in amazement as he demonstrated. He either pulls the throw pillows on the floor and uses them as his booster step or his pack-n-play like the picture above. 

  I have a sense of pride about how smart and innovative my child has become. He's resourceful and physically adept at tackling challenges. He has learned how he can pull himself up on the pack-n-play with his arms and feet and then climb on to the sofa. Once on the sofa it's an easy climb down to freedom.

  Like I said I'm fascinated by how smart he is. I just wished it was because he was solving algebraic problems IN the Kiddie Corral not because he's learned how to spring himself from the pokey.

Dad..who's the fat guy with the beard?

  Last year we abstained from taking our one-month-old down to the mall to have his portrait taken with Santa Claus. First of all, it wasn't because we feared germs or long term psychological scaring on Benjamin. It was selfish actually. We just wanted to get some frickin' sleep.

  So this year we thought it would be nice to get his picture taken with Santa so we could torture him with embarrassment for years to come. We chose to do it on a weekday at the Altamonte Mall figuring no one would be there. We were actually right this time on our assumption.

  Catherine and I met up at the Santa stand around 1 o'clock on her lunch break. We thought this would be a great chance for her to spend the middle of the day with her son and make a nice memory in the process.

  "Wait a minute. Where's Santa going," I thought.

  "Oh, I'm sorry sir Santa takes lunch from 1-2 pm," the helpful elf told us.

  What? When the heck did Santa join a union? I mean I know he has to keep his signature physique and all but come on can't he just eat in between kids? It's not like they had a line full of parents trying to contain their children or anything.

  So we walked around the mall for the next hour killing time in stores we had no intention of purchasing any items. (Side note: I found the Yankee Candle Store an excellent place to go if you have to break wind.)

  Finally it was time for Santa to punch back in from lunch. We were first in line, of course. We opted for the CD instead of the prints. (I mean come on. I need this in jpeg form so I can blog about it, import it into my Benjamin folder in Aperture for future uses, and other foolish reasons.)

  I sat Benjamin on the big man's lap and he just gazed magically into his eyes trying to figure out who this man was and why on earth would his parents leave him in the lap of a stranger. He couldn't stop looking at Santa. I think it was the white beard and hair that drew his attention.

  Meanwhile Dad is off to the the side saying his name in a prepubescent, high-pitched voice in the hopes of drawing his attention towards the camera. But he just kept staring up at Santa.

  We shot three images right away but I wasn't happy with them. (Look I'm not a typical parent. I know what my child is capable of doing in front of the camera and that wasn't it. KEEP SHOOTING ELF!!!)

  The second batch of three went better mainly because I resorted to tickling Benjamin on the foot and quickly jumping out of the frame. And so instead of turning into one of those parents I conceded that the fourth of his six was the one.

  I grabbed Mino off Santa's lap while Cathy paid for the CD. I have to say I was proud that Benjamin wasn't ever scared like some kids with Santa. He's a very curious kid. Now elevators... that's scary but a jolly fat man with a big, white beard in red velvet. That's interesting to Benjamin.