Today was special. It was the date of the annual Christmas party at our bank. They do a nice job and everybody shows up for the celebration. There’s just something about small towns at Christmastime that make you feel right at home. Everybody knows everybody else and it’s like old home week at the bank.
There’s hot cider and homemade cookies, fresh fruit, gifts, goodie bags for the kids, and of course, Santa comes to visit. This year Mrs. Clause was also in attendance. The kids get to sit on Santa’s lap and have their picture taken while telling him what they’d like for Christmas. They receive a bag filled with fruit, candy, and toys, and they get to take the picture home as a keepsake.
Grown ups receive coffee mugs and tote bags bearing the bank’s emblem as well as special calendars for the new year. The calendar theme for the past few years has been an historical one. It’s really neat to see the photos of times gone by and learn about the history of the area.
I have taken my girls to the party each year for the past several years, and even the older girls still like to go. My almost fourteen-year-old still sits on Santa’s lap and gets her picture taken. Santa always reminds her to watch out when it comes to boys. My eleven year old is starting to think she’s too big, but she wanted a goodie bag so she went for it. My oldest was just there for the cookies, and we never know how my six year old is going to react. One year, she’ll sit with Santa, the next year, who knows. This year, I sat on the floor in front of Santa and Mrs. Clause and she sat on my lap for the picture. She whispered what she wanted for Christmas.
*Image courtesy of Home4Christmas.
Santa was very nice about it, and she’s convinced that he’ll bring the items requested. It won’t be long now until we find out if she’s right… sixteen days and counting!
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