December 12, 2001 - 1:43 p.m.
Last night I returned home after spending a few days with Zack at my parents' house. Now that we live a few hours away, rather than a few miles, I'm attempting to get him accustomed to spending the night there. He did very well, had a wonderful time, and I think lived off ginger snaps and apple juice the whole time. I also got a bit of a break, since his grandparents adore him and take the burden of constant vigilance off of me for a while.
One of the cuter moments was yesterday morning as they sat and watched Sesame Street with him. My parents have probably not watched Sesame Street in about 25 years, so they're a little rusty on the names of the characters. I went into another room to being collecting things and packing up to leave, listening to my mother talk to Zack about what's on the tv.
"And there's Big Bird," she says cheerily, "and Mr. Stephanopoulos!"
"Snuffleupagus , Mom!"
"Oh, whatever."
They also braved the hoard of children Monday morning (and the hour long line) to assist me in the greatest of Christmas family traditions - visiting Santa Claus downtown.
Because I was a very shy little kid, my parents didn't begin taking me to see Santa until I was about 5 and I was inclined to wait a while to take Zachary - at least until he could tell Santa what he wanted. But the old Thalheimers and Miller & Rhodes buildings downtown, as well as the Sixth Street Marketplace, are slated for demolition in the coming months and this was really the only chance I would have to take Zack on that pilgrimage.
It isn't the same as it was when I was little. There are no big displays in the department store windows. The Tea Room where Santa hosted lunch and served cake "made with some help from Rudolph" is gone. Cokesbury Bookstore, my refuge from holiday shopping when I was deemed old enough to cross the street alone, closed its doors and moved to the west end years ago. And the role of the Legendary Santa has changed hands, too.
Zack was pleased to see one of his friends, Zane Gates, in line with us, but Zane wasn't feeling very well and didn't want to leave his stroller to play. When not preventing Zack from running off or climbing on the motorized flora and fauna of Santa Land, I got to catch up a bit with Jay and Vicky (Zane's parents).
When we reached the front of the line, Zack had had it. He didn't want to sit with the Snow Queen, didn't want anything to do with Santa and protested loudly when I wouldn't let him inspect the chimney that Santa had descended a little while before. I have a picture of him on Santa's lap, wailing for all he's worth.
I shouldn't feel so bad - Jay and Vicky have a very similar one of their son.
