Santa Cause?

I have a bone to pick with Santa and his elves.
Last Monday night my husband and I took our two children to see Santa at the Fashion Place Mall. We waited, and waited, with the long line not moving and my six year old starting to fall apart. My almost eleven year old and my husband left us in line and went looking at Christmas present ideas, 45 minutes later they found us in the exact same spot, in line behind a lot of sad and tired families.
The reason the line hadn't moved was because Santa and his elves had been unsuccessfully, working to get two dogs to pose and look at the camera for their picture. The two dogs weren't together, and they weren't being posed with their owners either.
There sat Santa with "Fluffy" and three elves with squeaky toys trying to get the animal to look at the camera. When ever they were close to a shot they thought worked, the elves would snap the picture, the owner would walk over to the computer screen and then shake their heads. No, the camera didn't really capture "Fluffy" and the elves needed to try again. I was so irritated. My son was so irritated. The woman behind us with a large, and very young family was irritated. Being from a large family myself, I understand her frustration. You see, the longer your family has to wait for a picture to be taken, the messier the kids become. She was on a count-down and was running out of precious "clean photo" minutes.
In between "Fluffy" and then "Fido" a baby was placed on Santa's lap. The baby immediately began sobbing. I didn't blame him. Who was this guy with a fake white furry face and why is mommy leaving me with him?
The baby wouldn't stop crying, so the elves delivered the baby back to his mom waiting beside the camera. That's when another elf brought dog number two,"Fido" to Santa, and the whole "look at me, puppy" and squeaky toys resumed. Luckily "Fido" was a professional and it only took two shots to make its owner happy.
Then mommy and screaming infant went back to Santa's lap. Was I missing something? Why do they get to try again? Baby isn't happy. Baby doesn't want to sit on Santa's lap. Baby doesn't even know who Santa is!
From the side door, that led to more Mall parking came a man walking a bigger dog towards Santa's Photo Workshop. The man didn't come over to where the line was, instead he walked over to one of the elves and talked to him, mono y' mono. The elf then announced to the other elves and Santa, that dog number three was going to get his picture taken. Was this a joke?
I began looking for the sign that instructed all dogs and owners were to receive preferential treatment and to butt in line.
I became enraged.
I had been waiting in line for 45 minutes waiting to see Santa with my cute, but now discouraged six year old. He had a list of presents he had been reciting in the car on the way to the mall. He believed in Santa. He actually knew who Santa was. He would look at the camera, on cue. I would buy the pictures, all the pictures of my kids on Santa's lap. And, I knew that both my six year old and my almost eleven year old would not pee on Santa's knee nor would they try to bite his fingers if Santa touched them on the head.
The world is crazy, right?
I'm not ignorant of the love between owner and pet. I love my dog. I admit, I like to take him in the car with me when I run errands or have to pick up my kids from Basket Ball practice, but come on! When did it become alright to choose a dog's time with Santa Clause over a hopeful child's?
We never got to meet with Santa last Monday night.
With dog number three waiting in the wings, I just didn't have the patience.
We are going to visit Santa, but perhaps at a different mall, and we will probably have to wait in a long line, again. I just hope it will be a dog-free experience this time.