Yesterday was a momentous occasion for our daughter Iris: she met Santa for the first time. She reacted to this stranger dressed in a red suit with her signature calm and curiosity. She investigated his beard, and calmly allowed me to awkwardly document the experience. About 40 years ago I had a very different reaction to this tradition as shown in the second photo. I astutely recognized hints of a flavored vodka on this Santa's breath. Concerned, I communicated my discomfort with the only method that proved effective in attracting my parent's attention: I cried. It was really a brilliant move, and quickly there after I was moved out of harms way. My daughter seems much more trusting of strangers dressed in unusual costumes. We'll see how she reacts to clowns!
