Santa means to bring merriment to children everywhere, but just about every family in the known universe has at least one tale of an unanticipated tantrum or mishap that resulted in some upside-down-smiles on those precious babies who were placed on the jolly fat man's lap.

If you can get past the first moments of embarrassment, there's something funny about that. Those who laugh at the unexpected and embrace the unintended can get a charge out of even this.

In the spirit of David Sedaris' "SantaLand Diaries" (now at Manoa Valley Theatre), and in honor of every long-suffering Santa who kept the "ho ho hos" coming in between the sporadic "wa-a-a-ahs," we're looking to share photos of the time Santa made your baby cry. Yes, they still look cute!

E-mail pictures to zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com, with "Santa" in the subject line. Include name(s) and contact information, and please name the photographer who took the shot. Submissions must be high-resolution jpegs, with a minimum 300 dpi.

You may also mail pictures to Island Life/Santa, The Honolulu Advertiser, 605 Kapi'olani Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 18.