A really big night for us!

I had been feeling a tad bit down for no good reason, just general holiday-want-my-husband-back moodiness, so I decided to do something about it. Okay, correction, I wanted to pull covers over my head and I got a kick in the seat of my pants pep talk from my husband. Honestly, he is the only one who can yank me out of one of those kinds of moods. It's amazing how much faith he has in my strength (boy, is he disillusioned!)

So I grabbed my kid and called my mom and decided that the three of us should head to Brandon mall to do some festive Christmas shopping and look at the decorations. I figured it would put us all in a good mood. I didn't realize it, but Santa Claus was already all set up.

Zoe was hilarious, she was SO excited when she realized it was him. She ran straight to him (completely ignoring Mrs Claus, as clearly she is not the one who makes the important decisions), gave him a GREAT big hug and said "Santa, you are fat!" Wow, I blushed redder than Santa's jacket!

After telling him what she wants for Christmas (a computer and a puppy from her daddy), she posed for her picture and ran off clutching her lollipop for dear life.

And then..we passed an accessory shop. You know, the kind with the ear piercing station in the window. And my determination for fun at all costs got the best of me, and before I knew it she was in the chair.

That little girl is insanely BRAVE! Christopher would have been proud. She braced herself for the first one, yelped a little, got pretty worried and then visibly pulled herself together, sat up tall and got the other one done! No crying, amazing girl. When it was all done she exclaimed, "now I am a lady!"

She is so proud of her earrings, they are pink rhinestone earrings. On the way home she decided that having earrings makes her a grown up, so she proceeded to put Nana in time out for "not listening and not keeping her hands to herself". Someone is getting a bit too big for her britches!

Needless to say, I am in a much better mood. The only thing that could have made this evening better would have been having a lot more people I love around to share it with.