The Polar Express

Friday night, we headed to Calera to ride the Polar Express! We took Hudson a couple of years ago and decided that this was a good year to take Harrison too! The Bridges went with us of course! We don't do a whole lot without them! Boy, did the kids have FUN! It was such a special experience for all of them.

 

We really lucked out on the seats. We were towards the end of the line getting on the train so we were worried we wouldn't get to all sit together, but then some seats opened up at the back of the train and we were good to go! We had 8 seats and room to roam, which was perfect. We had such a wild bunch that it was necessary!

 

 I'm not sure I have ever seen the kids this excited. My boys are obsessed with trains, so getting to actually ride a real one was such a treat.

 We had access to a REAL conductor! :) He was so sweet to the kids.

Love this picture of Harrison! He is still talking about riding the twain and the twain honking the horn!

We see Santa at the North Pole!

 The elves came on board to pass the time until Santa got to our train car!

 Then Santa arrived! It was total chaos! Hudson was squealing, Harrison was screaming!

Mrs. Claus was so sweet trying to comfort Harrison. Santa was as out of it as he looks. :) He did not seem like he was enjoying being there that night! The last time we did this, Santa was so into it that he told Hudson he was going to bring him a bicycle (at age 2!), so I'm not sure which one was better! Ha!

 I love this picture of Hudson! You can just see the excitement in his face.

 Santa did attempt to let Harrison give him five, and I will say that Harrison did come around and gave him one, but that was it! He was terrified.

 Then it was time for chocolate milk and cookies! This might have been my favorite part of the night. I felt like we got special treatment because the chefs played with our kids for a bit before coming on the train! It was hilarious watching them make faces into the window! Our kids were just dying laughing at them!

This was them watching the chefs in the window! This picture obviously does not do it justice, but they were loving it.

 And then they slipped cookies through the door to Haines and Hudson!

 Cookie time! And yes, he at the whole thing!

 

What a fun night we had! The first time we took Hudson, we were really less than impressed, but this time, we had such a different experience (besides Santa being a bit grumpy!). It's not something that we need to do every year (thankfully, it's pricey!), but it's SO worth it to watch it all happen and see the excitement in your kids. It was really a magical experience for them! This is one of the things I love most about Christmas!