I'm Just Not That Into You, Santa

So the time came. I seem to remember last year that we ended up kind of balking with Santa last year. I think we went to see him and Reid really didn't understand who he was and what he represented, so we didn't make a strong push for a Santa-Reid moment, per se.

This year, we thought we'd have better luck. The boy has been talking about Santa. Santa, he believed, would bring him a bike, partly because we asked him if he wanted a bike from Santa, and he said yes. Nevertheless, the bike-Santa connection was there, and we thought that understanding the potential of this jolly man bringing you free things would make him an acceptable stranger.

Not so. Reid didn't lose his cool, and the Santa (no offense Arlington Jaycees) left something to be desired in the jolly-old-elf category, but clearly the photograph wasn't happening. Reid gave the internationally recognized patient-child sign for 'get me off this dude's lap.'

Of course, this put our adorable holiday photography plans into hot water. And you'll just have to wait and see how everything turned out.

In other news, K and I are sincerely talking about some more drastic solutions for Reid's school situation. We actually like the school, but it's been about six months and Reid still cries at the drop-off every single morning. Maybe three or four times he hasn't cried, but the rest of the time: bawling. Breathless, red-faced, snot-and-tears running everywhere, begging for daddy, struggling to break free, holding on your leg bonkers.

We've done internet research, we've confabbed with the teachers, and it's just not common. We've regulated the schedule, we've added inducements and we've straight-talked with Reid about how it's time to stop crying. We're always coming back.

No dice.

So we're trying to figure out what's next. Truly, this school is good, and Reid's learning and play have gotten much better since he started attending. But we're both worried that this is something we can't fix, and there are times when you just throw in the towel. I think our last big hope is for just at the beginning of next year. K's office will be moving closer to Reid's school, and we'll significantly overhaul the pickup/drop-off schedule, which could shake things up with the crying. But who knows.