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Santa Claus is coming to town!
We Mommas know that once Halloween has come and gone, we are just rolling downhill to Christmas. So it should be no surprise that the jolly old elf himself is coming to town and he's not waiting until Christmas Eve to make his rounds. Santa will be checking in at bay area malls as early as Friday. And while I love Christmas, even that seems too early to me especially since it isn't very cool here yet. But I digress.
At International Plaza in Tampa, which always has those cool snowglobes, Santa will be listening to kids toy wishes beginning Friday through Dec. 24. Santa's hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (30-minute reindeer break at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.) and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1 hour reindeer break at 2 p.m.)
The next day, Saturday, Santa will show up at Westfield Brandon Shopping Centre to greet the kids. Photos will be available through Dec. 24 in the Dick's Sporting Goods Court. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (with one-hour breaks at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.) and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (one-hour break at 3 p.m.) Westfield malls at Citrus Park in Tampa and Countryside in Clearwater will also welcome Santa on Saturday.
On Nov. 14 between 6 and 8 p.m., Santa will make his way to Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg.
On Nov. 15, Santa will make his arrival for breakfast at University Mall in Tampa. Buy tickets for $5 at customer service for a Chick-Fil-A breakfast, goodies and fun with the man himself. All proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County. Through Dec. 24, kids can go sit on Santa's lap and ask him for that special toy. And from 6-9 p.m each Monday from Nov. 24 through Dec. 15, bring your pets in for a photo with Santa.
Santa will also arrive at WestShore Plaza in Tampa on Nov. 15.
New mall on the block, the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, is showing a little restraint, waiting until Nov. 23 to welcome Santa Baby.
And at Old Hyde Park Village, Santa will arrive Nov. 28 between 6 and 8 p.m. to light the 30-foot Christmas tree next to the fountain. Let's hope that the weather is a little cooler by then.
-- Sherry Robinson
[Yep, that's Ralphie wishing he was asking for his BB gun instead of a football]
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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
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