Scary Elves, Youthful Santas and a Reindeer Called Rossy

Nonna samples the delights (and otherwise) of a visit to Santa

Friday this week was a first for three-year-old Luca, who had never before been to visit Santa Clause. My daughter, Giovanna, decided that this year he’d have a better understanding of the jolly old man in red, so we headed off to the nearest large shopping centre’s version of the winter wonderland.

Old enough to comprehend a little more he may have been, but he wasn’t ready for the alarming fairy/elf that greeted us as we waited in the queue. The young woman, somewhere in her early twenties, had brilliant white eye makeup on, even down to the long eyelashes. Giovanna was most jealous, but Luca was not impressed. A little boy in front of us had already burst into tears at her appearance. Luca wouldn’t even look at her. Instead, he snuggled against mummy’s shoulder, resolutely refusing to answer her questions. Not like his usual chatty personality at all.

The frightening makeup was nothing to her lack of child friendly banter. When Luca went shy, she announced that, ‘Father Christmas doesn’t give presents to rude little boys.’ She should have been wearing an ‘elf’ warning. (Sorry!) Wicked witch of the north was more like it.

 

The penguins in the display as we queued were of more interest to Luca, jogging and jiggling around as they were. Giovanna, a psychology student, questioned whether a couple of them needed therapy, judging by the way they were swaying back and forth with expressions of bewilderment. Not so much One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as one rocked on the penguin’s nest.

Santa’s room was cosy, set up like a living room with a Christmas tree. His costume hid his tender years, though he could have done with a deeper Ho Ho Ho. Luca warmed more to him than his minions, and was thrilled to be given a fluffy white reindeer. Throwing a bit of a curveball for Giovanna, he decided he wanted a space station for Christmas. Goodness even knows where he got that idea, and by the look on Giovanna’s face, she must have been wondering where on earth she was going to buy one from. If anyone knows, please leave an appropriate comment below!

Once outside, Luca declared that his new toy was called Rossy the Reindeer. Why? ‘Because that’s what he’s called.’ Obvious really.

At lunch, Luca had no trouble relating his adventure to the middle-aged waitress. She sat and talked to him on his own level, using child friendly language. No threats were necessary. She could have taught the elves a lesson or two.

And now Luca’s gone to visit his little cousins, Phynn and Seren, and their big brother, Ben, in Wales. I haven’t been on here recently enough to announce that I’m now in possession of a granddaughter. She was born in July, the first girl in the family, including the step cousins, in twenty-five years. Her name, Seren, means ‘star’ in Welsh.

The ladies of the family are thrilled as they can, at last, buy those cute little dresses they’ve been eyeing up for so long . She might be getting quite a few for Christmas…

PS Kat finally got to use the birthing pool she was too quick to use with Phynn!


You can find the writing blog I share with others at http://writemindswriteplace.wordpress.com/