Sometimes little kids can act as barometers, yardsticks as to whether a person is good or evil. Mia is a great judge of character, she does not suffer fools lightly. Take Santa for instance. I was all geared up about taking her to visit Old St. Nick and she just wasn't having it. This is a chick who gives high fives to the homeless and pinches waitress's butts. She is a downtown girl who loves to party and I really thought she'd dig the celebratory vibe, but she was very skeptical. My mom and I took her to the Loop and treated her to a grown-up lunch at Marshall Field's Walnut Room where Mom spent her days as an ingenue modeling. We found Santa in a village-y house and Mia tentatively walked in, mentally drinking in the entire scene with awed interest.
She didn't cry, but she was not amused. Santa seemed kind enough, he possibly even had an Irish accent. I thought the elf was way cute. Mia gave out smiles to Grandma, smiles to me, smiles to the sales people and the other folks we saw in the street. Even if she hasn't had a nap and is hungry, she'll try to be friendly to the mailman, even the nurse who's giving her a shot! But Santa got no love. Big old jerk with a stupid hat. :(



