Santa's not real??

So for those of you playing along, you'll know I've been working at a large department store for a couple of months now, just casually, mainly weekends, but its enough to give me a break from the house, a few extra dollars and minimal daycare fees. The only real negative is missing out on family time and shitty customers who abuse me because they feel like it. Oh and the same shitty customers are the ones that trash the fitting rooms and spill coffee everywhere but you know, whatever, right?  Anyway, yesterday as I took my bag out of my locker at work I heard Santa come in to the staff room. Being Santa, everyone says hi so it's hard for the poor guy to go anywhere without a noisy entrance. If you're not Santa you can walk the corridors and be totally ignored but that's another post about how cliques exist everywhere you go and how frankly, women are each others worst enemies but let's focus. Santa nodded his head at me and said 'hello dear'. . . I smiled and nodded back, spluttering 'hello Santa' like some lovestruck teenage groupie. I felt like I was a child again, or I'd met a celeb and they knew my name - can you imagine?!?! I don't know why it was all warm and fuzzy but it was, and it was lovely to be acknowledged by someone who seemed so, nice. I wasn't there paying to have my childs photo taken as they screamed in his arms, he didn't HAVE to be nice to me, but he was. No wonder he was employed to be Santa. . . .

And then he undressed in front of me. Not naked, don't get me wrong - it ain't that kinda story *wink* but yep, Santa disrobed in front of me and I have to admit I blushed, and then didn't know where to look. He took the scratchy acrylic beard off, his Santa hat, and jacket - right in front of me, while he chatted to me about the weather like it was the most normal thing in the world to do. Next thing I knew, Santa was a normal bloke wearing some funny clothes. Sorry Santa, but I gotta be honest, I felt disturbed. Someone else asked how he was and he said 'bloody hot' with great attitude and gruff. Santa was clearly sweltering in his suit. He then sat and had lunch with a few of us staff.

I know Santa isn't real but there is just something magical about seeing a Santa in real life, especially when they look the part and are being lovely to kids. It's heart warming, tears to the eye, goosebump producing stuff that has gotten more lovey dovey for me since becoming a Mum. Carols; Away In A Manger and Mary's Child bring me to tears everytime. I still believe in Christmas and think of it as a magical time. Santa, to me, has the white beard, the red suit and black boots despite it being hot here, that's how it's always been and that's how it always will be. It's been playing on my mind ever since. I'm pretty confident in saying that the sight of Santa beardless, hatless, jacket and boot less, sitting in his red pants, white socks, overall straps or whatever they're called, and eating a sandwich while bitching about screaming kids and over controlling parents, well it's an image that probably won't ever leave me. Ever.

A little of my Christmas magic died yesterday, and that makes me sad. I hope my kids believe in Santa for as long as possible. . . and I'll do everything in my power to help that happen.



Meanwhile, if Santa in his pants had looked like this fella, well I dare say my after thoughts would have been verrryyyy different