Santa photos

Yesterday I took the kids to the Crossroads Mall for their annual Santa photo. It has become an essential part of our Christmas season. I really enjoy dressing them up in cheerful holiday outfits even though it takes a lot of work. Last year we drove to the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood since the Santa photoshop there was one of a few offering electronic images saved on a CD (paper images fade, you know). Thankfully, this year the Crossroads Mall near our house started to offer electronic imaging as well. We took the photo yesterday & I received the image in my email today. Easy!
You may remember Gerritt's 2008 Santa photo below. The Santa picture taking was so traumatic for him, we skipped that activity for him completely last Christmas.


Gerritt & Santa in 2008

It was Sophia's turn to cry this year. Gerritt was so happy to sit in Santa's lap & even smiled upon request. Sophia, on the other hand, started to holler the second I placed her in Santa's arms. She was literally trying to jump out of his embrace. As much as I sympathized with Sophia's distress, it was also comical, so I HAD to buy the photo. :-)

Mind you, she turned off her crying just like that the minute I picked her up. So no long-lasting psychological damage there. I plan on framing the kids' Christmas photos & displaying them around the house every Christmas season. We'll have quite a collection by the time they reach high school!

 

This is a photo of me as a little girl celebrating New Year's (it's celebrated much more than Christmas in Russia)

While at the Mall, we visited the Starbucks coffee shop for chocolate milk/hot egg & sausage sandwich for the kids & chai tea for me. Then we attended a Christmas concert by a group of middle school kids. Of course, we had to make a stop at our favorite toy store, ride the cars & play educational computer games at the library.



Sophia giving Gerritt a ride


Sophia discovered her new favorite past time at the toy store - playing with the Quadrilla


Gerritt enjoys riding the recently added Ferrari


We also returned due books & then selected new ones to enjoy for the next month. Gerritt is into the superheroes now, so after renewing his top two favorite books twice, I eventually had to return them. :-)

DC Super Friends: Brain Freeze! by J. E. Bright (Gerritt's favorite)
Batman: The Story of The Dark Knight by R. Cosentino (Gerritt's favorite)
Bounce by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin
My Dog Lyle by J. Goldfinger
Goldilocks & the Three Bears by James Marshall
One Brown Bunny by Marion Bauer
Tales From Radiator Springs: Step 1 & Step 2 Books - A Collection of Six Early Readers by various authors (Gerritt's favorite)
ABC: Letters in the Library by Bonnie Farmer
No Place for a Pig by Suzanne Bloom
The Green Frogs (a Korean folktale) by Yumi Heo
Someone Bigger by J. Emmett
Where Do I Sleep? A Pacific Northwest Lullaby by J. Blomgren
Red Riding Hood by J. Marshall
A Very Brave Witch by A. McGhee & H. Bliss
A Pig is Big by D. Florian
Bear in Sunshine by S. Blackstone
The Mitten by J. Brett (a Ukranian folktale)

Another productive day & just 10 days left until Christmas!