Riley and Avery

So, we went on our train ride on Saturday. We kept the whole Santa thing a complete secret until they figured it out themselves. We got on the train and promptly went to the concessions car when they started making departure announcements. They said that they would be departing for the North Pole ("Gasp! The North Pole? Did they say the North Pole?") and that Santa would be getting on the train ("Santa? Santa! What kind of train ride IS this?"). It was hilarious. Before the Santa and North Pole announcement, Avery had been TERRIFIED of the train. She insisted that I carry her, and she clung to me like a koala. Even in the station and gift shop, she clung. After the Santa stuff, she immediately relaxed.

Not long after departure, they came around and passed out hot chocolate and cookies. When we pulled up to the North Pole, Santa was outside waving and Rudi scooped up the girls and ran to the open air car (not me, it was freeeeeezing!). Avery saw Santa getting on the train and screamed at the top of her lungs "Santa Claus! Santa Claus! Santa Claus!!"

Santa got on the back of the train, though, and we were like the second car from the front, so we had a long wait. Elves came on and sang songs with the kids, told terrible Christmas jokes that the kids loved anyway, and led the kids in chants while waiting. It was quite an atmosphere of frenzied excitement! Santa finally made it to our car. The girls repeated their Christmas wishes (roller skates for Riley, and a stuffed cat or dog for Avery) and Santa gave them really nice bells ala Polar Express.

The girls spent some of their allowance in the gift shop and got smooshed pennies too. Their penny collection is getting quite large. Riley will need a new collection book pretty soon. The has 32 pennies, or something like that. Rudi only got a bookmark, so all-in-all a great day.