The Parrillo Family

Every year, we try to get to see Santa at the annual Wannamaker's open house and this year was no different.  The kids keep growing, but this tradition is a nice way to kick-off the Christmas season.  All three - Eloise, Sadie and Frankie - gave the reindeer a little pet and then talked to (note...didn't sit on his lap.  lol) to the big guy about what they want this year.  Here are some photos from this same visit to Santa in 2016 - six years prior.  

This sums up their relationship with the big buy.  SD and Frankie are all-in. Trying to make sure he gets their 'list'.  But Eloise?  As uncomfortable as they come.  Take a look at the photo from last year .  She still won't get too close to him.   Same as it ever was.  Here she was giving Santa the ole 'slip' on her second visit .   And b eing unhappy at age 3 .  But then something happened in 2013.  At age 4, Eloise was all smiles and even sat on his lap.  Sadie?  Not so much .  This visit is something we've done for years and I've documented it here on the family blog: Here's the photos from this same visit in 2018 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2017 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2016 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2015 .

As we've done the past few years, we kicked off the Christmas season with a visit to meet Santa at Wannemakers for their annual Christmas Open House in early November. It is a nice little setup with the kids being able to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the past few years, they've even had reindeers.  This year?  The reindeers were "sick", so it was a donkey - which is just fine with us! Here's the photos from this same visit in 2017 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2016 . Here's the photos from this same visit in 2015 . You can see that SD and Frankie are right in there with the Big Guy.  Eloise?  She's over, a short distance away in her own personal, private space. Go flip back through the 2017, 2016 and 2015 photos.  Eloise has the same position every year.  Not too close.  Just enough to be in the photos.  Back in 2012, she was traumatized , I think.  She squirmed out of Santa's arms, but hasn't sat on his lap ...

In what has quickly become a fun family tradition, we took the kids along with both Grammy and Granddad as well as Noonie and Papa to meet Santa and his reindeer at Wannamaker's in Downers Grove.   Here's the photos of the same event last year.   And here's the kids in 2015 meeting Santa .  If you look back through those, you can see how much each of them has grown! The program starts with a stop to meet the reindeer.  You can see all the kids above petting Peppermint who is just six months old.   Below, you can see Sadie - the animal lover - petting the six-year-old Glitter.  Then it was time to meet the big guy.  Sadie, of course got up there right away.  The other two were a bit more hesitant.  Eloise made sure to keep her distance.  Frankie?  He decided to put on his 'Batman mask' with his hands to protect himself from Santa! Check it out in action below: But...what happens when Sa...

For the third (I think?) year in a row, we brought the kids and met their cousin, Aunt Sisi and Uncle Bill along with Grammy and Granddad at an early Holiday Open House in the Western Suburbs to meet Santa and his reindeer. Here's the post showing photos from the same event last year. Like in year's past, we first were able to meet some of the reindeer.  Sadie loved petting them and learning all about them from the elves. The line was long, but the team at Wannamakers has set up some cute photo ops including this one in the little red car with a Christmas Tree attached to the roof. And then it was 'showtime'!  Let's meet Santa and tell him what we want for Christmas. As you can see, Frank couldn't get out of there fast enough!   *Feets don't fail me now!* But the girls?  They hung right in there. And were able to spend some time with Santa to tell him what was on their list.  SD said she wanted the American Girl Camping set. ...

Earlier this month, we took all three kids and met Grammie and Granddad out at Wannamakers in Downers Grove for a chance to meet Santa's reindeer and a short sit on the Big Guy's lap.  Well...SD and Frankie took the opportunity to sit on his lap.  Ellie?  She kind hung to the side. Here's SD and Ellie meeting Prancer. In an attempt to make the line 'feel' shorter, the fine folks at Wannamakers put out some coloring pages.  Here's SD's handiwork. When we finally got up there, SD got right on Santa's lap.  Ellie carefully sat to the side taking it all in. Sadie told Santa EXACTLY what she wanted!

This weekend, we took the girls to see the Big Guy and as you can see above, it was a surprisingly mixed experience.  We first tried to go see Santa at Macy's on State Street after a trip to the Walnut Room with Noonie and all the girl's cousins, but that line was waaaaay too long.  So, we called an audible and tried the line at the Christkindle Market at Daley Plaza in the Loop .  Nat braved the cold, while I took the girls in the Pedway to wait out the line.  We arrived just in time. And...Natalie had a plan.  She talked to Eloise about 'being brave' and take a look?!?  It worked!  Eloise even responded to one of Santa's questions and even gave him a shy 'high five'.    Don't believe me?  Check out this video.  ( If you are reading this in your email and can NOT see the video, click here to watch the video .) Sadie, however, made us proud with her "Stranger Danger" reaction.  Pretty perfect photo. Here's a look at ...

We took both Eloise and Sadie to see Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shop - as a warm-up of sorts.  There isn't ever much of a line and the experience is pretty enjoyable all around.   The thinking here went that since we were heading to the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's (Macy's) over the weekend, this would serve as a chance to get all of the girl's nerves out.   How'd it go?  I'll let the results speak for themselves.   Little Sadie was just fine, but Ellie?  Could there ever be more of a "Get me outta here!" face? So, was the warm-up effective?  After sitting on Santa's lap, we figured she'd be just fine at Marshall Field's.  Right? Eloise is giving Santa the same "Slip-er-oo" that she gave him last year.  

Eloise couldn't be more excited for Christmas.  Everywhere she looks, she sees Santa Claus - or as she calls him "Ho Ho TaTa".  I think she knows that's not his name, but at this point it is her nickname for the guy in the big red suit and she's sticking to it. We've been having fun opening up our Advent Calendar everyday and looking for our "Elf" who oftentimes doesn't actually sit on a shelf, but somewhere out of arm's reach.  Part of the "Elf on the Shelf" tradition - which my sister Sharon gave us as a gift last year - is that the kids get to name their own Elf.  Sounds like they name him/her each year.  We asked Eloise what she wanted to name her Elf - and (I think) because of the connection to getting candy (like she does with the Advent Calendar after she 'finds' the Elf each morning), she decided to tell us that the Elf's name was "Trick or Treat".  So, we have a little Elf that visits us each morning -...