Santa Claus is Coming to Town

On our fifth (!) try, we visited Santa Claus at the Green Hills Mall today and had John Patrick's photo taken with him. In one photo, he's crying, but in another one, he's actually smiling.

After striking out yesterday, Jude and I agreed it made sense to try to take John Patrick to see Santa Claus one last time, this morning, just after the mall opened. Good idea, in theory. When we arrived about 9:30 a.m., we were the second family in line. The problem, though, was that Santa wasn't due to arrive until 11:00 a.m. After weighing our options, we agreed I would hold our place in line while Jude entertained John Patrick.

I sat down in the floor, surfed the net on my cell phone and read an article from the New York Times Magazine a couple of Sundays ago I'd been trying to find time to read. Within minutes, the line started to grow and grow, as a result of which I felt smarter and smarter. At 10:50 a.m., I heard an excited murmur from the crowd, looked up, and saw Santa Claus making his way down the line, greeting people and smiling. I think the adults in line were more excited to see him than the children, actually. I know I was.

Jude and John Patrick arrived a minute or two later and we were in business.

I like this photo of John Patrick.

Walking Tall

I took the yesterday and today off work, which gave me a chance to spend some time with John Patrick. This morning, we strolled to Bongo Java after I fed him breakfast. It was chilly, but not too bad. I bundled him up and off we went.

As we walked up Acklen Avenue, across 12th Avenue and through Belmont University's campus, it struck me that with winter here, I probably won't be able to take John Patrick on walks for a couple of months. He was quiet as we strolled. I leaned the stroller back on two wheels to check on him and he gazed up at me, with a contemplative look on his face. It was like he was checking on me. At times, he does seem to have an old soul.

I smiled as I thought about all the walks we've taken together since he was born, 21 months ago later this week. I tried to estimate how many miles we've walked (or run) together. I love the time we've spent together, strolling through the neighborhood. I was sad, too, realizing that it won't be long at all before John Patrick is too big for the stroller.

At Bongo Java, I ordered a cup of coffee, then sat down outside. John Patrick entertained himself by running up and down the ramp leading to the outdoor deck. Chad, a barista I've gotten to know, was kind enough to take our picture before we headed home.

The Nuclear Option

Friday evening, Jude and I took John Patrick to the Mall at Green Hills to make another run at photographing him in Santa's lap. Our plan was to eat dinner afterward, at Panera, so we packed a small cooler to carry his food and milk.

Upon our arrival, we noticed that the line to visit Santa Claus wasn't too long. I stood in line to save our place, while Jude left to walk around the mall with John Patrick. Five or ten minutes later, I heard a child screaming and crying from somewhere behind me. Recognizing it was John Patrick, I turned around just in time to see Jude walking around the corner, toward me, carrying him. He was in full fit throwing mode, screaming like a wild man and squirming in Jude's arms. Jude informed me that when she wouldn't let him go down the "up escalator," he went ballistic.

Jude took my place in line, while I rode the escalator down, then up, with John Patrick. When we got back go the Santa Claus line, it hadn't moved an inch so we decided to go ahead and eat dinner. I went out to the parking lot and brought in the cooler and the booster seat, then found a table at Panera. When Jude brought John Patrick into the restaurant, he was throwing another fit, this time apparently because he hadn't wanted to leave the children's book section at David Kidd Booksellers.

As we tried to sit him down at the table in the restaurant, in his booster seat, John Patrick, still screaming and crying, stiffened his body so we couldn't bend him at the waist or knees to get him seated and strapped in. It was crazy. The worst part, of course, was when we saw a friend of ours sitting nearby. His three young daughters were sitting with him, quietly eating dinner. He smiled at us, sheepishly, as our son continued with the mother of all meltdowns.

Finally, we gave up. Jude took John Patrick outside the restaurant, back into the mall, while I packed everything up for the trip home. When I walked outside, John Patrick was still screaming bloody murder. His face was red, he was crying and really, really making a scene. I expected someone to call the police or the department of children's services at any minute.

We walked to the car. John Patrick continued to cry and refused to let me strap him in his car seat for the ride home. At last, I got him strapped in and Jude drove away. I looked over my shoulder to make sure mall security wasn't hot on our tail. As John Patrick continued to cry in the back seat, I looked at Jude and said, "well, we can always try to take him out in public next Christmas."

200 in 2009

It's a quarter 'til 5 p.m. and I'm sitting at a table at 3 Crow Bar in East Nashville, having a beer, watching traffic drive by outside. It's unseasonably warm for mid-December (63 degrees!) and the garage doors that serve as windows are up. My table is less than ten feet from the intersection of Woodland and 11th Streets.

I'm unwinding after finishing an 8 mile trail run at Shelby Bottoms in Shelby Park. There was standing water on the trails and lots of mud, which made for a great trail run, particularly since the temperature was so pleasant for this time of year. I even managed to discover and explore a new trail, off the Cornelia Fort Trail. Strange, since I've probably run right by the trail head 250 times over the past several years.

Today's run was special, because it was my 200th run of 2009. I achieved a goal I set for myself last December - to run 200 times in 2009. It's not a big deal, really, as it just required me to run four days a week, on average. Still, setting a goal for the year helped me go out and run on those days or nights when I really didn't feel like doing anything more than sitting on the couch, watching television.

It means I made running a priority and stayed relatively healthy. I carved out some time in a relatively busy schedule to run. I ran in early in the morning and at night, after John Patrick was asleep. I ran in the cold, in the rain and in oppressive heat. I ran in the mud, on trails, on the beach and in my neighborhood. I saw deer, turtles, snakes and an owl on my runs. I finished many nighttime runs at Bongo Java, got coffee, then walked home. I ran when I didn't feel like running. I ran when I couldn't wait to get outside and run. Best of all, I ran with my son, who loved it each and every time I strapped him in the Baby Jogger to go for a run. I ran 200 times in 2009.

Running is an important part of my life and it has been for a long time. Running keeps my sane. It relieves stress. It helps me collect my thoughts. Running makes me feel better about myself. There's a spiritual aspect to running, for me. I feel closer to God when I run. I'm blessed to be healthy enough to run on a regular basis.

Now, for 2010 . . .

The Help Rocket

Lately, John Patrick has learned (from our nanny, Carley) how to "sign" the word "help." When he wants an object he can't quite reach or is having difficulty opening something, he looks at us, raises his arms over his head and places his palms together. Carley's husband, Jon Meade, calls it "the help rocket."

I like it.

Watering the Animals

John Patrick has learned that it's important his stuffed animals have fresh water at all times. His Christmas teddy bear was extremely thirsty tonight, as you can see.