A (Pre) Christmas Story

As a fitting follow-up to "Zany Zoe - A Day in the Life of My Photography Assistant", this post will follow a day in the life of our family leading up to Christmas. You'll have to forgive the smorgasbord of photos, but I'll try to make it worth your time by sprinkling some Holiday cheer, photography tips and fun things to do (as if you don't have enough to do) throughout.

Another Christmas Tradition

The wife and I enjoy having the kids open one gift each a week before Christmas. Let's face it, no one buys anything for me (other than my wife) anymore. Instead, the kids have a hoard of gifts under the tree and by under, I really mean the area encircling a five foot radius around the tree. When we open all the gifts on Christmas, the generosity of family and friends towards the cute consumers of tomorrow tends to be overwhelming. Some perfectly good gifts that would be adored any other day of the year, are overshadowed by some toy of the year a poor soul waited hours in line for, while fending off other parents. So opening one in advance, and keeping a few in reserve (shhh...) is a great way to count (and appreciate) our blessings.

Triple Treat

Every Wednesday, Aidan starts school early so I take Zoe to watch trains before heading off to work. After Zoe sweetly asked to ride the train last week, I decided we do a Caltrain, BART and SFO AirTrain run while letting the wifey have some time to herself. The airport was pretty quiet so we got the VIP seats upfront on the AirTrain. The whole thing is quite the steal (i.e. nearly free), except for BART which surprisingly charges $4 to go one stop! The latter was a reminder why everyone tends to drive in California. Technical Photography Note: While you're setting the exposure on your camera, keep an eye on the little one who is tempted to lick the window of the train.

SFO a Photographer's Dream

My most recent photo shoot was at Stanford University which I have to say is like shooting fish in a barrel. In about an hour, we had shots of the sunset over the chapel, in the Quad, amongst flowers, with a flowing fountain and even amongst trees that provided a completely rustic backdrop. Problem is, the photo shoot required permission which is only granted if the client is an alum of Stanford. So it was with great pleasure that I found SFO yielding some surprisingly whimsical photographs, though admittedly the above photo took a minute to compose. Travelers were very accommodating in letting Aidan break out his moves on the dance floor, um, I mean Terminal. Technical Photography Note: While posing kids, watch the big one who now thinks licking the airport terminal window is funny.

Afternoon Walk

Aidan actually let us sleep much of the afternoon away and quietly played with his sister after she woke up. While still in a stupor, we made a quick run to downtown San Mateo to pick up some picture frames for a client and some presents. Along the way, we bumped into a dazzling display of ornaments hanging from the ceiling. After the florist assured us that the ornaments were "unbreakable", the kids romped around taking her comment as a challenge.

Bed Time Stories with Friends

Our kids love having their Auntie A and Uncle S read SpongeBob to them which was a perfect way to wrap up our day (and give me a break). In addition if you are looking for some fun things to do with your immediate family or visiting extended family here are some additional suggestions:

• Christmas Lights on Eucalyptus Ave in San Carlos. You can see some pics from my tweets. Free.
• Bethlehem A.D. in Redwood City. I haven't been but have heard good things. Free.
• Christmas service at Grace Presbyterian. I have been and if you can only do one thing this holiday season, attending the celebration of the ultimate story is time well spent. Both the service and grace are free.

Merry Christmas.