Santa

Today, Erin, Megan, Valerie and I took our little toddlers to see Santa. The first Santa was "reserved" for a special event. We waited (playing, eating, and strolling) for a couple of hours for him, and then decided to head to another Santa...

Miss E cried, so Valerie sat on Santa's knee with Miss E in her lap. Mr. N followed suit, but Erin didn't join in ;-) After a nap, Mr. P took a turn -- he wasn't the happiest we've ever seen him. Last, but not least, was O's turn. He was about to be upset, but then Santa started to gently bounce him on his knee and the elf played with a puppet, and O laid back on Santa and relaxed. He isn't my usual, happy, Owen, but I think it makes a cute 1st Christmas photo!

In England he visited Father Christmas and that photo turned out a lot like Miss E and Valerie's! Had to share, cause I think this is too funny!!

O and I were wondering around the mall while Grandma Chips and Daddy Q worked in Owen's great-grandma's flat. There is no Thanksgiving in England...so, it didn't seem funny there to pose with Father Christmas before turkey day. We had time to kill, so I thought, "why not?".

I walked up to the Elves' Booth to confirm Santa (aka, Father Christmas) was in. They said, yes, he is in there (pointing to a 2-story tree that resembles a tee-pee). Hmmm...a Tree-Pee?!?

I paid four pounds ninety-five pence so that Owen could go inside the "tree-pee" and see Father Christmas. We strolled around the "tree-pee" and waited at a silver door. After a bit, the door slid open and another elf appeared to greet Owen. We entered this disco-ish atmosphere, and then looked to the left -- ahh...there was Father Christmas himself. Wow...what an overwhelming experience for the senses.

Needless to say, O wasn't letting go of me....he was in a "tree-pee" with an elf and big guy in a red suit with disco lights...of course he wasn't chancing having to stay there ;-)

So, since we had already paid, I sat next to FC (no make-up and all) and we took the photo. What a crazy experience. I do have to share that Daddy Q and Grandma Chips had never seen such a production...so, this isn't the norm for England...just a crazy demonstration this mall decided to have.
Memories ....