All Aboard!

The Polar Express has come to town!  Well, sort of.  The Botanical Gardens hosted an evening with cocoa and cookies, a craft, a reading of The Polar Express and a tram ride through millions of lights.

As usual, we prepped the kids by reading the book many times and even watching the movie (most of it.  We skipped the ghost on the top of the train parts because seriously, what is that about!?) in the weeks prior.  As a result, Charlotte was disappointed when we didn't see the "regular santa.  We just saw the different Santa cause the regular one was at home being sick."  [We've all been sick around here for the last...well forever.  Matt blames having 2 kids to bring home twice as many germs.]  The Santa made of lights wasn't sufficient.  And we don't even "do Santa".

Giant cookies for dinner since the event started at 5:30

And lukewarm cocoa to add to the sugar rush

Cailin the Elf hydrates

She then realizes what she's missing and makes her demands

Being crafty in our jammy jams

We did NOT stage this.  My heart <3 s it.

Using cookies to entice this elf to sit through a long story

All Aboard!!

Hyper baby gets the giggles

"WHOOOOA"