Lest anyone think I am a total purist - I did take the children to visit Santa this evening. At the grocery store where I spend a large portion of my husband's paycheck. On free sample night. I know, I know! But they had ladies walking around with free Carribou Coffee and hot chocolate. There were samples of prime rib, ham, cheese, chocolate, egg nog, candy cane ice cream, etc. Live music, a horse-drawn wagon and a live nativity scene to boot! Afterward we drove around to look at Christmas lights while listening to the Christmas carol radio station. The second song we heard after turning it on was, no joke, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!
Well, here they are - I would love to have been able to hear the conversation each had with Santa - each of the children seemed to have enjoyed a heart-to-heart discussion with the bearded man in red! 
