Santa Snafu

   

Every year the nursing home I work with has Santa Claus come to visit.  Employee's children are always encouraged to come, though I've never brought mine until this year.   I heard the Santa Claus (a co-worker's husband is a professional Santa, very authentic looking, no stuffing, or fake ho, ho, ho's needed) was volunteering to fill the role.  With Sammi so excited this year, I decided to bring them. My co-worker was dressing as Mrs. Claus....

When we arrived there was a dance school performing for the residents.  The room was over-packed, it seems that the performance was also being treated as a recital for their families.  Right before the dancer's finished, I heard an activity assistant say, "They'll be here in 10 minutes."  Cookies and cider was served and in walked Santa.  A scraggly, skinny Santa who upon entering the room exclaimed, "Ho, ho, hey. Hey ho, ho..."   This was NOT the Santa that the employees were all expecting.  With the exception of the Activity Director, who was also aware of the other Santa.  Apparently at the last minute, she decided that it would be cute if her boyfriend  played Santa because her 6 month old was there....  When told  by other concerned employee's that "You can't do this, they are coming".... Her response was, "Well stop them at the door, they can't come in here."

Shortly there-after, the real Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived with a sack full of toys and foil covered chocolates, looking like they stepped out of a fairy tale book.  Awesome.  No one stopped them until they were around the corner from the room...  They were stopped and told there was another Santa there and they couldn't go in.  What??? This event had been planned for over a month, so obviously they were stunned.  The real Santa,  putting a finger aside of his  nose said *!@?* @!* and out the front door Santa and Mrs. Claus flew.  No reindeer needed.  In their wake they left a trail of foil covered chocolates. 

Meanwhile, the Santa on crack continued with his lackluster performance, and only had enough gifts for the girls who performed, all their siblings and the employees children got nothing.  With the exception of Sammi, she got a mini pad and marker set.  Children were crying, one little boy (about 4 years old) was having a full-blown tantrum because he didn't get anything from Santa.  I heard the mother hiss to the father, "See?  That's why I don't like to come to these kind of things.  Something like this always happens."  Truly an embarrassment to the facility.  Though at this point the one's responsible for this fiasco seem oblivious.   I do not understand why the Director of Nurses let the Acitivites Director change the plans at the last minute for her own selfish reasons.  I've lost a lot of respect for her and if Santa truly did have a naughty list, I know of a few people who deserve to be at the top of the list.

Oh, and to top things off?  Not only did the Santa Claus suck, but he gave out non-washable markers.  Guess who's still trying to get marker off her kitchen table?