$anta...and the cost of Memories

Unfortunately this will be of many words & no pictures... I went to the mall yesterday to do some last-minute Christmas shopping (no, I'm still not quite done!) I had Livia dressed up in her little Santa outfit, and while I was there at the mall I wanted to take her to see Santa for the 1st time. I thought it'd be such a cute picture!
Yeah, it would've been except that apparently even to take your own pictures of your child & Santa, it will still cost you out the nose! I'm just glad I read the sign that was almost totally hidden: "A visit with Santa is always free & welcome. However to take your own pictures there is a minimum purchase..." Something like that. Well, I finally managed to get the attention of the pierced-faced, smart-mouthed, snooty little 'helper' (very bad title, might I add - this girl WAS THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE of heplful.)
Anyway, I finally managed to get her put down her cell phone long enough to ask about the 'minimum purchase.' She said: "Package M."
I said, "What's package M?"
She said, "LOOK at the brochure."
I didn't have a brochure, and there was no way she was going to actually hand me one... so I managed to squeeze through the crowd to get to the brochures. Package 'M' was a 5 x 7 picture - FOR 15 DOLLARS! So in other words, to get my OWN picture of my daughter & Santa, I'd have to pay $15.00!
I chewed on it for just a few minutes while Livia chewed around on the brochure, and I ended up just leaving. I know Washington Square has a Santa there as well...I might try going there today. Oh, yeah! And I put the crinkled, half-eaten brochure right back where I got it, looked at the 'helper' and said, "NO thanks."