Christkindlmarket

Yesterday, La and I bundled up (we even sported the long underwear) and headed out into the frozen day for another mother-daughter outing.

We went out of our way to catch the train just for the experience (the bus is much closer to where we live). It took us down to the Loop, where the Christkindlmarket awaited us in all its shiny, meaty glory. (Christkindlmarket is the largest traditional German holiday market outside of Germany itself. There are real Germans working the shops with real German food and real German ornaments and wood crafts. Everyone is happy there. It's delightful, really.) 

When we first arrived, we headed straight for the line leading to Santa's hut. I thought this year, things would be different. That La wouldn't freak the heck out and clam up and not say a word to Santa. That she would just sit on his lap and tell him all about what she wants for Christmas.

I was wrong.

This was the face she gave me the entire time we stood in line:

Our conversation went something like this:

Me: La, why don't you want to see Santa? He's so wonderful!

La: Because he's weird.

Me: Well, how will he know what you want for Christmas?

La: He just will. He knows. I don't even need to tell him. We will put our stockings out and he will fill them.

Me: Oh.

La: Let's go get some MEAT!

So we did.

And bought a couple of ornaments for our tree ...

And then we stopped over at Molly and Kate's place, where pants are not required THANK GOODNESS.

... and we ate Bricks Pizza with them, which is always fun.

It was a perfectly wonderful day.