THERE IS TOO A SANTA CLAUS!

And he lives on a cul de sac. In my town. Which is naturally the North Pole. (Or at least it seems like it come February.) 

Don’t believe me? See for yourself. Here’s his website: www.santaholidayfun.com 

Now Santa and Mrs. Claus are lovely people, who sit in front of their home every night (BRR!), to the delight of parents and children who make the pilgrimage from near and far to tell Santa their wishes and to sit on his lap for a photo opp! (Really curious if the Clauses get invited to the block party come spring though!) Some of the neighbors seem very much into it…. 

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! CLARK GRISWOLD WOULD BE PROUD!

And some, well, maybe not so much? 

I HOPE I'M A BETTER WRITER THAN PHOTOGRAPHER---THAT'S A LONE GRINCH ON THAT GUY'S YARD!

When we took our sons, 5 year old was beside himself with excitement. I don’t think he came up for air as he sat on Santa’s lap. 3 year old looked warily at Santa and Mrs. Claus from behind hub’s leg, and 23 month old shrieked, so Mrs. Claus graciously offered her seat next to the big guy to me, so I could hold my screamer. Santa and Mrs. Claus even gave out coloring pages, crayons, and candy canes. 

HE BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A RED RYDER B B GUN!

Santa and Mrs. Claus do all this for the kids–and parents– for free. They will not take donations. They are the real deal–the epitome of true Christmas spirit in a land of Grinchy, grouchy, grumpity umpities. 

The only thing they ask in return for their awesomesauce? Is that you do something nice for someone. Santa encourages random acts of kindness and he wants us all to keep the true spirit of Christmas in mind. Right on, Santa. 

So, I found myself at the mall this past Sunday—the last weekend day before Christmas if you hadn’t noticed. (I’m a planner.) I went with one specific errand in mind–to pick up some jammies I had ordered for my sons online and had shipped to the store. The whole way over there, I grumbled to myself at my short sightedness not to have paid the shipping to have them sent right to my house.  I’ve never had anything shipped to a store,  but as I am trying to follow the wisdom of the more fabulously frugal lately (Go coupongoddesss, go!) after my abysmal attempt at couponing last year, I figured I could pick them up and save some scratch. 

Without getting into the deets, during my quick trip, I had a serendipitous encounter with a person which led me to take Santa’s advice, and perform a random act of kindness. 

And Santa was right! It felt all kinds of awesome. (Much better than the greedy bastard feeling I usually have when exiting the mall.) Ahem. And so what if some rushed shopper  jackass parked so close to me I had to suck in the muffin top, turn fifty shades of purple, and flatten my arse back into my car after I skipped out of the mall, and *practically* (ok, not really) had to use the $6.99 I saved on shipping to buy ACE bandages? Joy to the world because I got my chance to pay it forward! 

(And by the way? If I had any doubt about my random act of kindness, it was abated when I saw the sorry line of parents and adorable whiny children waiting in what looked like a communist bread line for…mall Santa.) Be honest. What’s the over under on mall Santa hiding nips in that big red suit? Oh the horror joy!! 

After my adventures at the mall, I decided to run to Homegoodies to see if they had a gift I wanted to buy for muffintopdaddy. (You know, I should just say what it is to see if he really reads my blog!) Okay, okay, I’m focusing…back to the story…so I grabbed a spot, jumped out of the car, and BOOM. Right across from where I parked, sat a nondescript vehicle with a not so nondescript license plate–and I felt like it was SCREAMING at me: 

PAY4WRD. 

Nu nu nu nu! 

I was FA-REAKED out.  

I ran into Homegoodies in all my freakedoutedness, they didn’t have the item (sorry hubs!), so I ran back out, just as PAY4WRD was driving away. 

Coincidence this should happen not twenty minutes after my mall encounter? Or a sign via New Hampshire license plate?

I believe! I believe! 

I pulled out of the lot and decided I had one more errand left in me. Got to the next light, and I seriously thought I was about to see a flash mob dancing in the street. I was pumped! Why else would two cars full of six people park in an empty lot and be stopping traffic except for a flash mob?! Dugh. I’ve been watching too much youtube, clearly. Actually, a  man was stalled in the intersection, and these kind folks stopped two lanes of traffic and then pushed his truck across the two lanes of traffic. And no one honked. Or yelled. Or gestured. It was a random act of kindness so maybe no one wanted to be the jerk—in light of what they were witnessing. Which in the Northeast is truly a feat.

But isn’t that Santa’s point? That being kind is catchy? That grouchy begets grouchy, but kindness begets more kindness? 

Whether you’re 7, or 37, or 77, it’ s a great feeling to believe. 

There is too a Santa Claus—in each and every one of us. And if you don’t believe me? Then step off my blog, Grinch!

Merry Christmas!

XOX, Muffintopmommy