"You'll shoot your eye out kid!"

Grey and I rode the Polar Express and met Santa for the first time, Monday. This is the cutest little Christmas activity this side of the Mississippi, and it's free! The little train takes you on a ride around several houses in the neighborhood where beautiful Christmas lights and decorations are set up. They played the music from the movie, which I love! It's so magical. We only made one stop, the North Pole! Grey sat on Santa's lap and....stared. He did give Grey a yummy candy cane that Grey really enjoyed later, but other than that Santa wasn't much of a hit with Grey. I figured as much. The little guy is pretty hard to impress and a big white bearded guy in a fury red suit is boring.
Santa was cute though, he gave the kids each their "first Christmas gift" a bell, like in the movie and told them "always to believe." He also told the story of the candy cane which held upright is the shepherd's cane and upside-down is "J" for Jesus. Grey just thought it was yummy.
During the second part of the train ride they played religious music and had beautiful paintings of Jesus set up everywhere. There was also a life-size nativity. It was actually pretty touching. Interesting enough, I think the second part of the ride was Grey's favorite because he was bopping up and down and pointing and talking to all the little statues. Maybe he was just assured at that point he wasn't going to fall out. But a mother likes to believe her child is on a more spiritual level and that her 1-year-old understands the true meaning of Christmas. So I'm just gonna go with that.

Grey told Santa he wants a Red Ryder bee bee gun for Christmas, but the little elf next to Santa said "you'll shoot your eye out, kid!" As you can see, Grey is very disappointed. (This is just a sad attempt to make this slightly anti-climatic, meeting Santa moment, exciting.) Next year, I'm sure Grey will realize the importance of Santa, but more importantly mommy and daddy can begin using him as a threat. wink.





I can't put my arms down!
So they told us to dress warm - but I may have over done it. I think the other kids were teasing him behind his back. Poor kid. Every time I put this snow suit on him he honestly sprawls out and lays lifeless on the ground as "his only defense." ("I can't get up!") Just call him Randy.




I took this picture from behind as he gazed at all the Christmasy magic.