Left Coast Mama » Santa Claus

Guess What We Did Today

Gwen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:09:20 +0000

For weeks now Quinlan has been afraid of Santa Claus. He said he did not like his moustache at all. He did not like that Santa came into the house down the chimney. He was not sure about this Santa person at all, and he seemed to want to be as bad as possible so Santa would not come. Today that all changed. After preschool today we went to Oakridge to do some playing in the pit and a few walk bys of Santa Claus. The first walk by Quinlan said he seemed like a nice Santa and his beard and moustache were . . . ok. After the second walk by he thought that yes he was a nice Santa and maybe he might like to go see Santa. After playing a little longer Quinlan decided that it would be nice to visit Santa before we went home for a nap. Quinlan was very brave and after a couple of minutes he was on Santa’s lap and talking about eating vegetables and what he wanted for Christmas. This afternoon after picking up Aidan from school we were able to get the picture.

Ho, Ho, Ho

Santa Cheese

Gwen — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:01:40 +0000

This morning we headed off to Oakridge to get our annual picture with Santa. Quinlan was a little shy and to forestall the hysterics I sat with Quinlan on my lap and Santa had Aidan. It is a little cheesy, but the more I see it, the more it grows on me.

Yanta!

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Related: Advent, Adventures, Aidan, Christmas, Gwen, Quinlan, Santa Claus.

Flight in Search of Santa

Gwen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:06:45 +0000

Last week I was contacted by Brendan from Optimum and asked to be part of the blogger/media contigent for the Flight in Search of Santa. I found out today that I can bring Aidan and Quinlan with me. So tomorrow we are joining a number of Children’s Wish kids flying off in search of Santa Claus thanks to the Foundation and Air Transat.

With Christmas just a few weeks away, dozens of sick children will have their dream of flying to the North Pole and bringing Santa back to Vancouver come true. Together with family, elves and entertainers, 100 children will take their seats on a special Air Transat flight, where Christmas wishes come true and holiday magic will be celebrated.

I am so happy to be able to take part in this flight with my boys. Not only do we get to fly and search for Santa, but we get to be part of seeing so many sick kids get their wish.

I will post tomorrow night to let you all know how it went.

© 2010 Left Coast Mama | Permalink | One comment
Related: Advent, Aidan, blogging, Christmas, Gwen, My Boys, Quinlan, Santa Claus.

December Daily: Day 1

Gwen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:51:17 +0000

I am not sure I will be posting every day in December, but I will try. I am committed to documenting at least the first 25 days of December in an album I made. It is my first real attempt at scrapbooking, so we will see how it goes. I have a few pictures from today’s adventures and the letter I wrote to Aidan letting him know what are plans for the day were. We didn’t finish them all but we got a good start. He has started his letter to Santa, we decorated some of the Advent envelopes that I will be putting letters into nightly, and made a birthday card for Santa. The birthday card for Santa wasn’t on the list but Aidan really wanted to bring Santa a card when we went to visit him today.

Aidan wasn’t shy at all today when we went to visit Santa. He went right on his lap and gave Santa his card. He then was talking to him for a while when we were getting Quinlan ready for his picture. Quinlan cried for about 2 seconds until he realized that Santa had a beard and that his brother was staying. Then he just hung out on Santa’s lap and chilled. All in all a good day.

S. and Aidan trying to act cool. (Well for 4 year olds.)

Best Friends

The best Santa around Vancouver. Plus, how cute are my boys in their ties and sweaters?

© 2009 Left Coast Mama | Permalink | 3 comments
Related: Advent, Aidan, Christmas, My Boys, Pictures, Quinlan, Santa Claus, Vancouver.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Gwen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:20:36 +0000

I know it is only the 6th of November and we have barely passed Halloween but I have been thinking about Christmas for a while. This will be the first year that Aidan is really excited about Christmas and we will be celebrating here in Vancouver. That is not to say that we haven’t celebrated Christmas in Vancouver, just that last year we were in Nova Scotia, and that was the first year Aidan was anticipating Christmas and all the fun and pageantry that goes with it.

Last year we wrote a letter to Santa and went to visit him at the mall here in Vancouver. We also put together a box for Operation Christmas Child and bought some food for the food bank. I wanted the giving not to be all about the getting. I wanted Aidan to understand that we can help people who don’t have as much as we do.

This year we have a few things I want us to do in the way of charity. We (in the next week) will put together a box for Operation Christmas Child. I fully plan to go to the CBC Food Bank Day and make a donation. I also hope to be a part of helping a local family have a great Christmas. I think that it would be really good for Aidan to be a part of making someone else’s Christmas special.

I know that one of the things I really appreciated as a child was being able to give back to another family the way our family was taken care of. It is hard to write, but I don’t know if people realize how happy they can make some children. The wonder of opening the door and having a box on the doorstep with no one around is wondrous for both the child, and I daresay the parent. I know that even without the generous people who helped us that Christmas, my parents would have made it wondrous for us still. I still thank those anonymous people for making us all believe that Santa Claus was alive and well.

I also fully plan to make Advent more of a reality in this house this year. Aidan is old enough to know that Christmas is about more than getting presents and Santa Claus for us. With the help of books, and Advent wreath and the creches we have I hope to make this season both fun and spiritual.

Anthony and I have some traditions that I want to keep. We like to go to see the lights at Stanley Park and VanDusen. I love singing at Midnight Mass. Putting way to many lights on my Christmas tree to make it the most beautiful (and shiny) thing in the living room. Going to Maplewood Farms on Christmas Eve. Having the friends, who have become family, over for dinner on Christmas Day. These are all keepers.

There are other things that I want so much to stay as part of our traditions, but I am not sure that they will this year. This is something I can’t write about here, and I have been a bit cowardly about trying to make it better if I can. I am still unsure about how to proceed without making things worse from what was a big misunderstanding. Unfortunately I cannot control how other people can hold grudges. I can only hope that things will get better and that forgiveness is found.

So before I put my foot further in my mouth and make things worse I will sign off.

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Related: Advent, Aidan, Anthony, Christmas, Family Time, Gwen, Holidays, Quinlan, Santa Claus, Vancouver.

According to Aidan

Gwen — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 02:47:13 +0000

Santa is going to fill his stocking with socks. I hope Santa is listening.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Gwen — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:48:57 +0000

As you may have guessed we went to the Santa Claus Parade today. We left at 11:30 am and got home at 4:30 ish. I am going to let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Dear Santa

Gwen — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:55:30 +0000

Dear Santa,

My name is Aidan. I am 2 and a 1/2 years old. I live with my Mommy and Daddy in Vancouver. My Mommy is helping me write this letter. I want to know if Santa is reading a book? I love books. My Mommy and Daddy read me stories.

How are you and all the elves and reindeer? I would like would like to hear some stories about the North pole and Santa Claus.

I would like a few things for Christmas. I would like a few books about trains. I would like the sheep in the picture.

Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas.

Love Aidan

Oh Santa! I Just Can’t Wait For You to Come!

Gwen — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:45:58 +0000

I love Christmas and I have an itching to start decorating and get the boy excited about Santa Claus. I can’t wait for Advent! It is so close and I will have a few advent calendars for Aidan this year. My dad and Kate got Aidan a beautiful Advent Calendar last year that is a felt tree with little stuffed ornaments to put on the tree every day in December. I am planning to get it down from the top of our storage locker with the other ornaments and lights on Saturday so that we can start putting up the lights. I am also expecting an Advent calendar from Nana for Aidan and I am making a small box calendar as well. I will post pictures when it is finished.

Today Aidan and I went on an adventure downtown on the TROLLY bus. Aidan was so excited and he walked a good deal of the way. We went into Sears and the first thing Aidan saw was the Christmas trees. He really wants us to get one soon. He loves the lights and the fact that the trees are indoors. When we were looking at the clothes so I could check out the pyjamas, he found a sheep. He wants this sheep. I told him we could take a picture of the sheep and send it in a letter to Santa Claus to see if he might be able to get it as a present. We then went for the main portion of our trip (excluding lunch) and checked out electric pianos at Tom Lee Music. Aidan loves pianos. He could bang on them all day. I have a few pictures of the pianos we want and a small video of Aidan playing one. He found octaves by himself. It was so cool. I really hope he will be a good piano player. It is such a good skill to have.

When we got home we wrote the letter to Santa Claus. I will publish it as a separate post, it is very cute. I hope SC will write back. I think Aidan would be thrilled. Meanwhile I will post the pictures of Aidan and the pianos. Of course the one we really want is the most expensive. Maybe Santa will help us.

This one doesn’t come with the stand and bench. It has a nice tone though.

This one is fun, but very silver. It does come with the bench and stand.

This one has pedals like a real piano, and it is my favourite. It is very sturdy (Aidan won’t be able to knock it over) and is the most like a real piano (of the ones I tried.) It is also the most expensive of the bunch. Please Santa?

Checkin the Mail Mommy

Gwen — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:47:48 +0000

Aidan, like most kids I’d bet, loves to check the mail. Aidan especially likes it when he get to read the mail. We give him our junk mail and the grandparents have been writing him letters lately. I think I will have to get a scrapbook just for the letters he is getting.

Today Aidan got two letters on the same day, one from Nana and one from Grandad. Both were sweet, printed so that he could see his name and each told a little about what was going on in the lives of his grandparents.

It got me to thinking about the written word and about letter writing in general. I love mail and when I was young I had a number of long distance friends and letters were the way we communicated most of the time. I guess I am old enough that long distance used to be expensive and there wasn’t email until I was in college. Has email and cheep long distance changed the way I write letters? Damn straight it has. I can’t remember the last time I sat down to write a newsy letter to anyone. Maybe I should start to write a Christmas letter letting friends and family know what we have been up to this year. Hmm, but most of them know about the blog, so shouldn’t they know what was what in 2007?

The one thing I know is going to happen soon, this week I hope, is getting Aidan to write his letter to Santa Claus. I know I will be doing the writing but this year I want to build up a little anticipation for the holiday. Aidan now understands Halloween, so I am hoping that Christmas this year will be as much fun. I can’t wait to get out the decorations and the Advent Calendar. A busy November will melt into a busy December.