AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I haven't mastered the art of keyboard screaming, I went with AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH............ So, picture this: I'm at Miracle at Big Rock, minding my own business, when a couple rolls up with a stroller, and inside is a tiny human all snug as a bug. Being the jolly old Santa I am, I lean down to greet the little one. Suddenly, the kid locks eyes with me and unleashes a scream so intense it could make your hair curl. Now, I don't take it to heart—honestly, if some bizarre-looking dude in a flashy red suit invaded my stroller space, I'd probably scream too! I know parents might panic, but trust me, it's all part of the Santa gig. I remember being a kid and being terrified of the big guy in red myself. It's a regular occurrence, and if I let it get to me, I'd have hung up my Santa hat ages ago. The last thing anyone should do is force the kid to interact with the crimson-clad stranger. I just step back, assure the parents it's no biggie, and remind them we don't want to scar the little one for life. There'll be other times, even if it's next Christmas. As Santa, we do our best, and that's all anyone can ask for.