We fell a bit behind on the holiday season, but perhaps we will make it up to you - our dear readers - with a bonanza of information, theories and miscellany. Or perhaps we will get swamped with 2011 Things To Do.
Although this was technically Mark's second Christmas, it felt like his first. Last year, he was a drooling bundle of arms and legs in a car seat. This year, he showed a minor amount of interest in tearing the paper off his gifts. He didn't have the attention span to get through everyone's generosity but he seemed to enjoy the festivities.
While you might expect a child to tear open his presents wildly, Mark ripped the paper delicately, like he was peeling the shell off an egg. Even on the biggest boxes, he would take a sliver in two fingers and lightly tug at it until a quarter-inch of paper came off. Hence the delay in posting. He was opening presents for two weeks.
Anyhow, about the picture. Matt - known locally as Mr. Christmas Cheer - decided it would fun to bring Mark to see the mall Santa.
An earlier attempt by Grandma Hanley had ended in failure. Mark wanted no part of this strange, bearded man. Wouldn't go near him.
Still, Matt thought it would be nice to get the traditional Christmas snapshot. You only get one chance for a 1-year-old picture with The Big Guy. Besides, if Mark screamed that would only mean more high school blackmail photos.
Lynne, a Christmas scrooge, thought the plan was generally bonkers. There would be lines; Mark wouldn't go for it; there would be lines; it was kind of weird. And she was right about the weird: there was an unnerving amount of college aged girls who were waiting in line in coordinated outfits. But the line moved fast.
And, the end result was that Mark - as usual - was a prefect gentleman. He didn't cry. He didn't squirm. He didn't try to run away. He sat still in this strange man's lap while a woman jingled bells and said "Hellllloooo, little man. Hellooooo."
You can almost see him looking at his father, thinking: This man has gotten me into another fine mess. I'm adding this to the nursing home file.
