Santaland 08!

Tor appreciates that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. He understands the art form of crafting a letter to Santa and looks forward to the jolly fellow leaving a sack of goodies. But then there is the Santa Express. Constructed each November by the Melbourne Myer store, its bright lights, enticing tunnel and mock steam train are enough to make our 3 year old hyperventalate with excitement.

Alison's nerves managed three visits to Santaland this year. For as every Melbournian mother knows, along with the train comes the general public in increasing quantities and with increasingly less patience as the festive season progresses. And so when it occured to her on 23 December that she must explain the immenent departure of the train for another year, she gritted her teeth, feigned an enthusiastic smile and agreed to one last visit.

We survived, visiting Santa and emerging together with our plastic keyring well satisfied.