Mall Santas

I just returned from my first (and I'd hoped only) trip to the shopping mall this season. The sole purpose was for my daughter to have a tête-à-tête with Santa.

Our Santa apparently spends time in the off-season somewhere in the South (Tennessee if one is to believe the rumors). He has an unmistakable southern accent, but he wasn't in the mood to go along with me when I said, "Oh! Sounds like Santa must originally be from the South Pole!"

My daughter recited her short wish list -- "a Barbie computer with a magic wand" and a nutcracker -- and we were on our merry way after paying a not-so-merry $24.95 for one sheet of photos with Santa. Bah humbug.

Looks like I'm headed back to the mall after all; on our way out of the mall, the 'list' was tearfully amended after walking by the Lego store.