Now That's The Spirit.

I love the mall at Christmas time. It's the only time I go anymore. I have neither the time nor the desire to shop these days. Life doesn't allow it. Unless you count cheese, eggs, and deodorant at Walmart or water softener salt and chicken breasts at Sam's Club.

The last sentence makes me want to shout I Love America! But I digress ...

The mall at Christmas. It's like super-concentrated holiday spirit for the ultra-efficient person. You can enjoy an entire holiday experience for the senses all in one place in under an hour.

You've got your various holiday music selections playing overhead as well as filtering out from every store as you walk by; red, green, gold, and silver decorations of every shape and size as far as the eye can see; the mall-walking clans of ladies in their beaded Christmas sweatshirts; and little ones waiting in line to demand from Santa the latest dancing or laughing or poker-playing Elmo that can no longer be found on store shelves anywhere because CNN said it was the toy to have this year.

And let's not forget the $16 digital photo you can purchase of your child on Santa's lap that you could actually take yourself and have printed at Walgreens for under a quarter.

Even the perfume snipers at Macy's must be working on commission this season, as both their aim and determination seem to be more direct than usual. Times are tough, and we all have to earn our keep.

Merry Christmas! Where again is Christ in all of that? Are we sure that the three wise men didn't follow that star to a crowded store first to pick up that gold, frankincense, and myrrh?

So Seth and I ventured to the mall today so he could have a chat with the big bearded guy. His Christmas spirit is in high gear now that the countdown to C-day is in the single digits, and he is wearing his own Santa hat everywhere he goes.

He took it off, however, before talking to Santa, I believe out of pure reverence.

He started out the trip telling me that "Santa is fake. He's not real. He's just fake," and ended the trip with "You know, I think that might be the real Santa." The guy must have been convincing - what with having a cell phone on that big black belt and all.

He obviously must have to stay in constant touch with the elves up north.

It was a nice hour or so spent soaking up the holiday atmosphere, and we capped it off with a Happy Meal at the food court. Does a 5-year-old's day get any better?

I think not.