The Polar Express

Now that we have more than one child, one thing I want to make sure to do is spend one-on-one time with each of them.  I always want them to feel special and loved.  Griffin still gets alone time with me while Hadley is at school, but vary rarely does she get to spend time with mom and dad without Griffin around.

She's really gotten into the Polar Express this year, so we thought it would be a great idea to take her on The Polar Express train!  We prepped by watching the movie (over and over and over...) and reading the story.  I was worried the movie might scare her a bit, but she's a champ!  We have been counting down the days on the calendar and on Sunday we headed up the mountain to board the Polar Express!

We all wore our pi's and sang Christmas songs on the way up there. (And by Christmas songs, I mean Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on repeat, ha!)  When we arrived, Hadley had to get her golden ticket and we had to walk around a corner to get to the train.  Hadley was in complete awe when she spotted the train.  It finally became real to her!



This is a face I will never forget.  Her reaction to seeing the train "in real life" was absolutely priceless.  We probably stood looking at the train for a good 5 minutes.  It kept tooting it's horn and moving up the track ever so slowly.

We got there early so we grabbed a bite to eat at a little cafe before we were allowed to board.  This girl could hardly contain her excitement!





Here she is, lined up waiting to get on the train, showing the conductor her golden ticket!



They had a great little set-up in the car.  We opted for the full experience first class--it was pricey--but so was the second class and there wasn't that much difference.  The car was heated, we had cute hot chocolate mugs we got to take home, and every passenger got a little package of goodies- which Hadley was THRILLED with.  She opened hers right away and snacked the entire time.







They read the story, the workers danced to the Polar Express songs (as did Hadley!), and we drove by Santa's depot where Santa was standing on his sleigh waving as the train went by.  He actually looked right at Hadley, pointed at her and waved directly to her and she was over the moon about it.  And from the looks of it, I may have been more excited about Santa seeing her than she was!





She thought that was it, but as the train turned back towards home, Santa Claus actually got on the train and handed each child a bell.  She is so proud of that little bell. :)





After Santa left our train car, Hadley said, "I forgot to give him a hug!!"  Bless her little heart. It was a cute little train ride and perfect for Hadley's age.  She slept the entire way home and has talked about it non-stop to anyone who will listen!

 

One funny thing, though, is she knew we weren't at the North Pole.  She kept saying, "this isn't the north pole...where's the snow?"  So David and I had to explain to her that Santa has workshops all over the world so other people can help him make the toys for all the girls and boys.  Gosh, she is so precious to me!

It was a great trip and I'd definitely recommend it if you have littles that enjoy the Polar Express like my girl here! :)