Having kids is a bittersweet ride. The sweetness has nothing to do with us and is solely derived from how perfectly precious they are. The bitter part is, shall we say, the x-factor -- the unpredictability. Kids can get you into trouble, and you have no idea how or when or why.
But our kids have yet to get us into big trouble, knock on wood. So we decided to test the fates on Saturday with a trip to St. Anselm Catholic Church's Winter Wonderland expo. With a toddler nearing his terrible twos and an infant with endless needs to be met, this was sure to be a challenge.
And yet, somehow, the fates smiled on us. Despite the chaos and the lines and the stairs and $5 they charged us per person -- even for little Henry -- we made it through with souls and holiday cheer still in tact.
Of course, the biggest risk was Sam's reaction to sitting on Santa's lap. He's not a fan of sitting on strange objects to begin with, let alone a strange man with a boisterous personality and loud clothing.
I won't say Sam enjoyed it. For the whole short time on the jolly man's lap, Sam stuck to that deer-in-the-headlights look, perhaps wondering what he did wrong to deserve this punishment.
But at least he didn't cry.
Check out the video below. It's also included in our roundup of pictures from the event. The last series of photos is of Sam and Grandpa playing with the football he won for surviving the ordeal.
