My family experienced a Christmas miracle last Sunday at Cookies with Santa. I actually got a decent family photo. The Mothers of Multiples club that I’m a member of  hosts the event each, and the Santa is quite authentic.

Of course, this was the one year I didn’t go to the trouble of coordinating festive outfits for my children to wear. If I had known our time with Santa would be almost picture perfect, I would have. Maybe that’s the secret to snapping a good family photo—have low expectations and don’t get all dressed up

Eli is not looking at the camera in the photo, but a perfect family photo would be too much to ask for at this stage in my family’s life. It’s just nice to have a photo in which all family members are seated and no one is crying, has a runny nose, has fingers in their mouths or is spitting up. Going to see Santa with children under age 4 is always unpredictable. I never know what is going to happen until we actaully get to the front of the line.

It was looking iffy on Sunday. Eli was running in the hall on the way to Santa and slammed his head into a rail and began wailing. Then Mila decided that she didn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, but we finally coaxed her over when we told her that she’d get some candy from Santa for her time. Siler, who was meeting Santa for the first time, was growing more irritable by the minute. He was tired of being restrained in his stroller, but we knew there’d be no hope of peace and joy if he got out of the stroller early. At 15 months old, he’s just at that age where he’s dangerous to take anywhere outside our home.

This perfect moment in time would have made a nice Christmas card, but unfortunately I had already made my photo Christmas card for this year. The last two years I’ve compiled individual photos of the the kids to make Christmas cards because getting three little ones to sit still and cooperate for a photo is kind of like asking three hummingbirds to stop for a picture together. Maybe I can crop their heads onto this photo for next year. I’m sure it will be too much to ask for a miracle again next year.

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