Santa Photos at Wee Gather

Hey, Santa!

For the first time ever we had a cooperative kid that wanted to take pictures with Santa. Little man is not so little anymore and this year his interested in jolly old St. Nick is at an all time high. 

Questions I've been asked:

How does Santa fit down the chimney?

Is his belly so big because all he eats is cookies and milk?

Why is he married?

How tall are Santa's elves? Are they taller than me?

Is he watching me right now? 

Where is Santa's house? Can we get there on the freeway?

Parker is quite the curious and chatty little monkey.

It was important for us to find a good Santa that would answer all his questions so we decided to have photos taken with Santa at Seaport Village. We arrived early but there was already a line so Parker and I visited the candy shop and walked along the water looking for crabs while Tuan waited in line for about 30 minutes. Our visit with Santa was pleasant and Eileen was able to capture some good photos of our family. However, I have to note that only 3 of the 7 photos we were given were actually in focus which was very disappointing. For $50, I expect all the photos to be in focus but what is Christmas without some hiccups.

I'm been an absolute trash blogger lately and I apologize. I wish everyone a happy holiday and even happier new year!

2015 Santa Picture with Mall Santa

Here it is, Folks! Our 2015 Santa picture. I'm proud to report that there was no crying this year but there weren't any smiles either. This is the best photo we took, Parker looked terrified in all the rest. We opted to visit the Santa at Westfield UTC this year and I think it's safe to say that we will be going back to the Seaport Village Santa next year. 

Mom tips:

1. Pictures with mall Santa were more expensive (the basic package + digital copy was close to $50) and you only get a digital copy of 1 photo. With Seaport Santa you get all the photos from your session on a disc. 

2. We paid for the SantaFastPass and the workers weren't paying attention to whether or not people were in the fast pass line so we still had to wait. 

3. Mall Santa was too chatty. Clearly my child is afraid of you. Please stop asking for high fives.

4. The picture quality and photo background were not as good as Seaport Santa. 

Do you know of other good Santa photo opps in San Diego? Please leave a comment below.

I've pretty much been the worst blogger of all time the last few months. This is a fact. If you want more frequent updates, follow me on Instagram @parkerproject! 

Screaming Santa Photo + My Review of Eileen the Santa Lady at Seaport Village

One of the fun things we did with Parker over the long weekend was taking him for pictures with Santa. We decided to head down to Seaport Village the Friday after Thanksgiving because, from what I could see online, the Santas there looked the most legit plus I the thought of heading to the mall on Black Friday made me cringe.

 

It was a drizzly morning and we arrived at 10 minutes before Santa arrived. I wasexpecting a crowd and was excited to see that there was only one family ahead of us. The photos took longer than expected because Eileen (the Santa Lady) didn't have any helpers that day. At first, Parker was very curious about the man with the white beard and his fuzzy suit. But as soon as it was time for his solo pictures with Santa, this happened.

 

 

[Look at those precious teeth! Poor kid. Oh well. Maybe next year will be better! Haha]

 

The 5-10 minute photo session cost us a total of $32 (including tax). $25 for a CD of the photos + $5 because Tuan and I wanted in on the fun. Overall, I think it was worth it. I wanted the CD because I didn't know how the photos would turn out since the set up in the gazebo didn't have any lighting equipment. I edited the photos in lightroom when I got home. All I can say is that Eileen must be making a killing on these photos!

 

[Merry Christmas from Santa and the Nguyens! Check out Santa's pimpin belt. Haha]