Santa Claus

We do participate in the tradition of Santa Claus around Christmas time, and even more so than the average person, we have a personal elf, who keeps Santa informed on our daily behavior in the last few weeks before Christmas arrives and alot of other small things along the way.

It is alot of work to keep this "TRADITION" alive...but it is a tradition in our house that we plan to continue for years to come. I don't like to refer to it as believing in Santa, b/c it really is a tradition the same as a christmas dinner, christmas cookies, candy canes, or a christmas tree. I just think that everyone should celebrate their beliefs/traditions as they choose. However if your traditions/beliefs are not the same as other peoples, please don't spoil it for others!! What you are failing to realize, is that you are spoiling a family tradition...not just blowing the cover of a christmas story character.

Here is Leighton writing his first letter to Santa, which we took to macys to mail out in hopes to help raise money for their st. Judes campaign.

 
 

Leighton taking a picture with big guy himself!
 
 

Leighton's many faces

&nb
I was trying to take some close up pictures of Leighton on day, and he decided to pose with a different face in almost all of them. He is 20 mths in these pictures. I love the one where you can see his dimple...alot of people including some of his family are unaware he has a dimple...BUT HE DOES!! This is a common thing on the maternal side of my family. I also love the picture where he looks like he is up to something bad. It is one of my favorite pictures of him so much so that I blew it up huge for our living room. Anyway it is a side we don't ever see and completely him acting but it doesn't look like him at all. Four faces/Four personalities!!
 
 
 

FALL LEAVES/OUR HOUSE

I am guily of trying to have the perfect photo op of everything we do/special occasions (see xmas pics everyyear). So much so that I will put Than and Leighton through a frustrating photo session complete with a squirmy leighton and Than unable to move as I try to set up the camera. ONly after I have created the perfect backdrop/found the perfect background spot and perfectly coordinated our outfits. My husband is very sweet in being patient with a wiggly child in his lap and a cracking smile across his face b/c he has been holding it for so long. He knows how important it is to me ;) Also I should add that we didn't have a tri-pod for our camera, this is balancing on top of a stepladder of roof of our car held up by stones and a CD wallet (worst case, but true story).

These are some outtakes of Pictures I was trying to take of the family in the beautiful fall leaves. We had just purchased our SLR camera and were so excited to use it for these. Well ofcourse in our adventure to find a good location to take these pictures our camera's battery died!! Than jinxed us on the drive by saying we should have charged it, but we forgot. well after one shot the one of me on the blanket the battery died! Luckily I had my small point and shoot camera, sad to say that battery was dead also. Anyway we managed to squeeze out a couple of shots and got just enough to find one decent picture to use as a "We've moved mail out".

 
 
 
 
My dad gave us a tri-pod for christmas so thankfully we no longer have to go through such trouble to get our perfect picture. Now we only have to go to the trouble for the perfect location, background and outfits :) Guess you can't win them all.

Halloween Lemax Village 2008

Since I am huge Halloween junkie/nerd I collect Lemax halloween village pieces. This was my village for 2008, I started collecting pieces in 2007. I have managed to get a great collection going and have only bought pieces on sale. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of all of it but all the movement and small lights make it hard. Next year I will have to find a better place for it b/c sad to say our mantle is actually too small. If not I guess I am done collecting for while, Than has made me promise I won't become one of those crazy ladies whose village takes over the entire dining room or even worse an entire Basement! For now I am ok with just a mantle or buffet top, shoot me if I even get that crazy over resin model houses!! LOL!

 
 
 
 

MORE HALLOWEEN MOMENTS!!!

Halloween pajamas with dinner and some funny pictures after. Leighton must have been full of Silly Halloween spirit after we all changed into our matching PJs we took these silly pictures, it was the perfect way to end such a fun holiday evening!

 

 

 

 

Halloween Decorations

We didn't go to over the top this year with decorating since we weren't completely unpacked yet...but we did manage to do enough to impress alot of the neighborhood trick or treaters. Our main attraction was our bubble fog machine all the kids seemed to love it!!! Also our floating ghost seemed to get somewhat of a good response as unsuspecting people walked beneath it and it triggered the sensor. It moaned and groaned as it floated across the sidewalk overhead. People thought it was cute. My skeleton was our candy guard to make sure kiddos were polite and only took two pieces of candy...but just incase the severed arm held a helpful reminder sign in the center of the candy cauldron.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of our special dinner, complete with MASHED-BOO-TATOS!!

 

Next year we will have to add our lighting effects system to the scene, nothing says halloween like spooky sounds and flickering lights!

TRICK OR TREATING 2008

Peacock mommy, Gorilla Daddy, and Organic Banana Leighton. This was Leighton's first real attempt at trick or treating, and he was a natural, he knew right what to do and just followed all the other kids lead. It was so great!!! Hopefully by next year he will actually be able to say "Trick or Treat". Our new neighborhood was perfect for this also the way the houses are set up and how friendly everybody is, really made it great. He was running down the sidewalk in his banana, which made me a lil concerned since it was kinda restricting his movement around the legs, he did fall once but was back up and ready to go. After about an hour or so he was tired and ready to go home, but what a trooper he was for being so small. Everyone loved our little banana and thought his costume was priceless, It was hard to find the tights and shirt to match for keeping him warm but I kept searching and eventually found the tights at a womens fashion chain!!! I was able to just cut them and double them over this even kept him extra warm. We had so much fun!

 

 

 

 

Halloween day 2008!!!!

Halloween 2008 was a fun one for Leighton, it was his first time to really enjoy all the traditional things that come along with Halloween. During the day he dressed up as Than complete with borrowed old patches Than had that I had attached to his mini flightsuit. Like father, like son!! He even got to wear it out to the store, to pick up some last minute goodies!!

 

 

 

 

CARVING PUMPKINS 2008

Leighton and I had to brave carving pumpkins alone this past year, since Than was still in Virginia. Usually I let Than do the carving, and he does great, but this year I think Leighton and I did a pretty good job. We carved 2 pumpkins making a Scary witch and a pumpkin that ate to much Halloween candy!!

 

 

Leighton thought the puking pumpkin was so great can't you tell by his face!!! I am such a gross mommy but I love Halloween!! EVeryone knows that i am a nut about it!

 

 

pumpkin picking pictures 2008