The Polar Express

Back when I was working I often had kiddos tell me they were going to the North Pole or on the Polar Express. I would talk to them about imagination and that they weren't really going to the North Pole or on the Polar Express.....and then I found out they were! That AZ has this really awesome Christmas event in Williams where you ride on a real train and read the Polar Express story, drink hot cocoa and eat cookies all the while singing Christmas carols! You end in the "North Pole" and Santa boards the train and gives each child a magic bell. Talk about a festive Christmas idea. So now I feel like such a silly speechie ruining it for all of my kiddos I used to see!
This was our 2nd year of taking our train loving toddler on this great train ride. We woke up early Sunday morning and packed up for our daytrip. Got to Flagstaff around 10:30ish and had the fun of the ground being covered in alot of snow and it was snowing out!! Yay, winter wonderland for us Phoenicians! Kyle took Kayden sledding and they made his first snowman on the NAU campus (cheer the college kiddos up during finals week:), Kayden also was taught the magical "you can eat white snow, not yellow snow" saying and loved telling me that over and over all day! We ate soup for lunch (something else you Northerners take for granted, eating soup on a bone chilling day is the best!!) then we headed to Williams for the big train ride. Kayden was so excited to meet Santa and to be on a real train ride! Brecken is a trooper! He was awesome for the whole car ride there and back and on the train. He just hung out on my chest in the Ergo for most of the train ride and only cried when Santa boarded b/c the train car was full of screaming kiddos excited to meet Santa.
My happy 2 year old sang his little heart out for the singing portion of the ride and I loved watching him. He also had his first hot cocoa....still prefers only water but took a few sips b/c they were singing the Hot cocoa song and every one else on the train was loving it. I love making him smile like he did that day!