A Very Santa Weekend

Not the real Santa, but a very nice alternative.

Much to the delight of kids and grownups alike, Santa arrived via fire engine (not sleigh) on Fripp to kick off the island's holiday season.  This small town, old fashioned and homespun frivolity made Christmas memories for all.  With hot chocolate and cookies in hand, children danced around the alligator statue or waited patiently in line to sit in the Big Man's lap and tell their Christmas wishes.

Our three lined up for more treats instead of Santa choosing to wait till our scheduled breakfast with him the following day.  Wyatt downed three and a half cups of scalding hot chocolate in record time only spilling a few well placed drops on our return home in the golf cart.  By the way, traveling by golf cart to see Santa Claus arrive is the only way to go!  Greg can handle the chill in the air without care while on a golf cart.  No weather related depression this year.

The next morning, Anabel, Wyatt and Emma told Santa their Christmas lists each modestly reduced to match our change in situation this year.  Gone were the elaborate requests from the American Girl store and Toys R Us.  They understood that this sabbatical is a gift in itself, but Wyatt couldn't resist putting a plug in for a dirt bike like he has done for the past 2 years.  (Sorry Wyatt.  Santa acts on parents' permission.  Sabbatical or no sabbatical, the answer is NO dirt bike.)

Breakfast with Santa

Elves' (not Elvis's) Workshop

The Fripp Island Resort's traditional Christmas kick-off weekend included a Local Artists Craft Sale, an Elves' Workshop for kids to purchase inexpensive gifts, Santa's Evening Arrival Party, and Breakfast Buffet with Santa the next day.  Like many things on the island, the organization needed work and the wait staff was stretched a little thin, but it's Christmas so who would complain?



We know we only have a few (if any) of these "Santa's lap" Christmases left.  In the end, I hope our kids enjoyed the weekend as much as we did.