Being a kid - it's all good

Yesterday I took the kid to a local museum to see a Christmas exhibit currently on display. Apparently a local department store (which closed long before we moved here) was known for having amazing window displays during the holiday season. The museum has custody of all the old stuff and trots it out every year. There are all sorts of animatronic dolls and animals. I figured the kid would dig it, so we stopped by.

When we got there the no-nonsense lady at the front desk told me that it would be $4.00 for me and that the short one is a "free child." I said, "Oh yeah, she's a free child alright," and the lady just looked at me like I was a jackass.

So anyway, we climbed the stairs to the second floor where the Christmas displays live. I hadn't told A that Santa Claus would be there. I thought he was supposed to be there from 12-3 but I hadn't talked it up just in case I'd gotten the time wrong or something. A saw the window displays right away and was pointing at stuff and demanding that I follow her.

And then she saw him. It was one of those priceless moments of childhood that you wish you had on video. She stopped in her tracks, wide-eyed, and jumped up and down, practically vibrating with excitement. "SAAAAANTAAAAAA!" As luck would have it, this was a pretty good Santa (real beard and all). She sat in his lap for a few moments and then he gave her a candy cane pencil (which I eventually confiscated - I don't really want her putting her eye out this close to Christmas).

Santa asked her what she wanted and she couldn't come up with anything. Does this mean my kid is spoiled? What kind of kid can't come up with a single toy she wants? Preferably one that comes with 150 pieces and decals, is made in China, has a moderate amount of lead, and takes a month of Sundays for her parents to put together?

Oh, I almost forgot Bruce the Spruce. This was another featured exhibit at the museum. Bruce the Spruce is a large artificial tree that talks. Don't tell anyone, but I figured out the secret. There is a person inside the tree. I immediately noticed that the person voicing Bruce yesterday has, in all likelihood, a vagina. It was kinda creepy to hear a chick's voice coming out of a Spruce named Bruce. So we didn't linger too long there. The kid didn't really get the whole concept anyway.

Comments

Anonymous said…
There was a Bruce the Spruce at the Festival of Trees that I took my daughter to. She is too young to understand it at all, so he said, "Come back next year when you can remember me. I'll remember you..." Mmmm-kay, bye. We went to see pretty trees, not possibly perverted ones. I don't see how Bruce could be a hit with any age kid. He (or she!) is creepy.
December 17, 2007 at 8:04 PM
Mary said…
Oh I use to love to bring my kids to see Bruce the Spruce!! I was always on the 5th or 6th floor of Prangnie's (you probably never hear of that store due to your youth!) and the whole floor was decorated. I do believe Bruce was a man back then... boy, how times have changed huh>;)
December 19, 2007 at 4:00 PM
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