who would expect

a layout comparison of the same photo?!


there is still snow on the ground. i should have done these layouts months ago. but here they are. and i may as well share the story.

one of the nearby malls has the real Santa come. if you met him you would agree. we just "discovered" him last year...as in 2006. it was him that bribed Aidan with a candy cane to sit on his knee so his crazy mother could take a good picture. i love the series that i did get...santa reaching out his arms to grab Aidan....like he was trying to force him on his knee! there was no charge for photos or time. important fact to not neglect.

well, this year it was tough to get a time arranged to get us ready for the photo. then i learned that they only had him on weekends this year...as in 2007. i could understand this. sort of. when i took the kids in 2006 we seriously got to spend 30 minutes with him. and when we left, there was no one waiting. but it was sooo nice for us. so when we finally had a weekend in 2007 it ended up being the same day that Santa had to go home early because he was sick.

so sad for us.

off we went to the big mall to the not real santa.

and the far from free photos.

we were amazed that the kids were both excited. neither of them hesitated to be put on the knee of a stranger. especially one with a long white beard and red outfit. no tears. but we could not get Kiara to smile. Aidan...he had no trouble with that this year.




this one will go in Aidans album.


and this one goes in Kiara's.



and our never to forget part of the santa trip.

the pig photo.

we walked past pogopix and saw a baby pig hanging out at the backdrop. we stop the kids and get them to look at this interesting site. and then one of the staff comes out and tells us to come on in and get a photo with the pig. he explains it is an anniversary and they are taking free photos with a pig tonight. i grew up on a farm. one of my uncles had a farm with lots of pigs. so i have a history that certainly removes the word cute when being associated with pig. however this pig was different. i am not sure if he was born in a barn at all. like that means anything. he was also social. and too young to know the ways of defence that barn pigs know.

so we let the kids in to make friends with the pig. Aidan had remembered the movie Charlotte's Web and loved Wilbur. this was a good connection for him to have. Wilbur was very cute in that movie. and this pig was certainly similar to Wilbur. as pigs go.

did i mention the photo was free?

so we got a free photo that night. just not with our camera! who would have guessed that we would get one with a pig.

i know that one day my kids will wonder why they wore the same clothes to see Santa and to get a photo with a pig. and that will be a good question. perhaps this page needs additional journalling?!

and next Christmas....hard to beat!

i had a fantastic and amazing week as far as scrapbooking went. i actually finished 4 pages in a day. that is a record. and i'll enjoy it while it lasts. i doubt it will happen again. tomorrow i'll share the 4th layout. thankfully it has nothing to do with christmas or snow. yay for that! seriously, i do believe that i have finished all the winter related layouts i wanted to do this year.

bring on spring!

maybe if we're loud enough it will come? wait, isn't it "believe" and it will come? well...i know it will come eventually...it is just a matter of how quickly.

oh and a fantastic surprise for me this morning.

i often "blog-surf" while i enjoy my morning coffee. (i have always needed to read something while i have breakfast. needed to do that for as long as i remember. still don't know why.)

so i checked out the new challenge on the Goodie Box. it looks fun.

then i rambled over to Kim's. i had entered a contest on the weekend....and i never win those things. i had forgotten about it until i saw my name as part of the title for the daily entry. and her son is holding a paper with my comment on it. i had to put my cup of coffee down. spilling was a realistic risk.

Aidan was across the table from me. he got the news next. he had no clue what i was talking about. i think he congratulated me.

and now i can't say that i never win. well i have won stuff before, but not like this. i am ecstatic. Kim used to work at the store and was always helpful. and cheerful. she has been purging supplies, and the contest was to win some stuff that she was needing a home for. if you have seen any of her layouts, you would know her good taste. i get the goodies on Thursday. yay for me!

i won't get my usual scrapbooking night out this week. and the weekend is busy with a second hand sale and birthday party. should be exciting in a normal way! this is the only good thing about a late spring....more time to scrapbook. once the sun starts to shine and beckons us to plant flowers and vegetables....i am busy in a different way.