Of course, this is the same Santa that I went to as a child - very fond memories of my cousins and I taking the day off of school and having lunch with Santa, eating Rudolph cake, and shopping.
A lot of it has changed, but Santa still comes down the chimney and still knows your name when you walk to him.
We left Saturday before lunch, stopped to eat at Chick a - lay, what Hannah calls Chick Fil A. We stopped at Stony Point Fashion Park and went to Build a Bear. We looked around a little and got some dog treats at the doggy bakery. The kids had some Sweet Frog and then we went to the hotel. After a good rest we went to O'Charleys for dinner. Then, we went to Short Pump for a little more Christmas shopping and browsing.
Build a Bear with their new Christmas doggies and Andy got the Grinch
Sweet Frog!
gigantic tree at Short Pump (Steve had to work and meet us there Sunday for santa)
Gaga and the grandkids
back at the hotel before bedtime
waiting for Santa
talking to the Snow Queen
professional pic with Santa
telling Santa she wants a pirate ship!
prof pic with me and my sister and kids
mom and grandkids again
Emma with her list for Santa
playing with Uncle Steve in the museum
group shot
me and BooBoo waiting for the shop to open
the children's shop opened - you trade in cash for "fawn money" - the kids go inside the store and buy presents for their parents - the parents cannot go in with them and they have an elf shopper with them
getting their presents situated
clothes changed - getting ready to head back to Suffolk
Looking at these pictures and thinking of the fun we had with our children this weekend makes me think how blessed I am. Sometimes we think life is not perfect but I could not for one minute imagine being a parent of one of those children who were killed on Friday in Connecticut. To me, life is more than perfect.
I found out the news while working - a coworker came in the library and asked if she could borrow my computer. We both pulled up the news and tears just started filling our eyes. I was closing up book fair and in a rush to get things done as I usually am. I had some students come in last minute and thought twice before I told them I was closing up. I stayed at work an hour after that day - didn't leave until almost 5pm on a Friday. Bo got the girls from Mrs. Beth for me. I didn't want to turn anyone away. Being in this field for almost 10 years hits way too close to home. I have worked in three different schools and they were each wonderful in different ways. I could never imagine anything like that happening in one of those schools or to my own child in school.
I did A LOT of snuggling with my girls this weekend. I lost a lot of sleep over those pitiful parents who will not have a Christmas with their beautiful child. I feel for the families of the teachers, guidance counselor and principal. You can't help but to put yourself into their situation and think "what would I do?"
I had already bought Christmas bookmarks and candy canes for the library this week. I am really excited to get into that building tomorrow - can't wait to embrace my library monitors (they didn't work last week because of book fair), I am looking foward to a four day week - plan to teach my ass off, give my 800 kids a heck of a lesson in library this week before we go on vacation and enjoy some celebration time with some amazing colleagues.
God Bless those precious children who lost their lives, the heroic teachers and staff and the families of all affected.
this was not our picture, but very appropriate
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