Mall Santa Improvises with Funny Photo of Sleeping Baby

Taking the kiddos to have their pictures taken with Santa is a time-honored tradition during the holiday season. There are the children who enjoy the experience, and others who dread it and have to be dragged kicking and screaming. The photos can certainly make for interesting memories down the road.

When Sarah Pasley took her 8-month-old son, Kiptyn, for his visit with Santa Claus at the Boise Town Square Mall, she had her concerns, mostly because it was a Saturday in December and she knew the mall would be busy. They waited in line for more than 30 minutes, and Kiptyn fell asleep just before it was his turn to get his photo taken with Santa. Just as Pasley was about to leave, Santa had another idea and waived her over. The snapshot that followed has gone viral on Facebook. Kiptyn lies peacefully sleeping on Santa's round belly as Santa pretends to be sleeping, too, in his oversized chair, while holding a book in his hand.

The photo was shared more than 45,000 times and "liked" more than 360,000 times. The Boise Town Square Santa Claus is receiving high praise, too. The mall's marketing manager, Tina Kierce, said of Santa, "He's extremely caring and compassionate with the children, and that is not uncommon for him to do. We're very blessed to have him."

Something tells us that this mall Santa's popularity is skyrocketing thanks to a little improvisation with an adorable sleeping baby.

[Related: Tips for Surviving Santa Photos]

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