Ho, ho, ho!

Turns out, Santa was in Miles City on Saturday, doing a little PR.  He stopped by the Airport Inn for fingersteaks and fries before heading back to the Pole and we happened to be eating supper there, after Christmas shopping all day.  Maggie couldn't believe our good fortune and was so excited that she was almost in the door of the men's bathroom to fetch up her brother before we got her stopped!  When Angus FINALLY came out...AGES LATER...Santa came over to say hello and hand out candy canes.  He asked them if they'd sent their lists for sure and Maggie had, indeed, but Angus had not.  But ever prepared, he grabbed his little notepad, whipped one out while Santa was talking to other little kids, and presented it to the jolly old elf forthwith. 

Santa sat down across the way to have HIS supper and the kids didn't take their eyes off him the whole time, poor fellow.  Maggie noted that he wore jeans to Miles City because it's a cowboy town and also that he didn't bring the reindeer because they needed to rest up for the big trip next weekend.  After we finished eating, she was dancing on one foot and then the other, asking permission to take Angus over to sit on Santa's lap.  She ALSO wanted photographic evidence of it, so I had to hustle out to the car for my phone as directed. 

They trotted over to see him, very politely saying, "Excuse me, Santa...can we talk to you for a minute?  And take your picture?" to which Santa replied that he had a little time and found a comfortable seat with good photo backdrops. (I'm always suprised to remember that he's a professional sort, with more experience than George Clooney in setting and ambiance...)

First, the obligatory "Good Kids" shot...

 Then I was excused (but stuck around, anyway) so Maggie could remind him that she wanted a real puppy, a bouncy spring rocking horse and a detective kit.  She informed him that she was a real detective, then added, "If only I could find a crime..." 

Angus is a victim of setting suggestion and couldn't think of anything he wanted except an airplane. (There are model airplanes hanging from every corner of the ceiling at the Airport Inn, of course...)

Maggie kissed him a couple times and they both hugged him big, then took their cautionary "Now be good kids!" statement to heart and told him to fly safe.

We all skipped out to the car...

I thought I didn't believe in Santa, anymore, but now I do, again.

There really IS a kind, jolly man who listens to kids' wishes and cares about thier happiness, who has candy cane breath and knows about reindeer! (Or, as Maggie believes, in Montana he uses mule deer.)

And I'm happy to see that he eats fingersteaks and winks at Martha, the waitress who never takes a day off, EVER.