Visiting Santa

Our first advent calendar activity was to visit Santa Claus.  As an added bonus, the sky was filled with big, beautiful, fluffy white snowflakes on Saturday morning.  It was the perfect backdrop to visit the jolly man from the North Pole.   

We went to the same garden center we visited last year.  It's awesome.  No lines and no ridiculous fees.  They accept donations to charity instead.  Plus, the Santa is awesome.   

Madeline is just starting to understand the concept of Santa Claus.  She likes seeing him on TV...even in car commercials...and she pretends to talk to him on the phone.  

On the way to visit him on Saturday, we practiced what he'd ask her, and what she should tell him.  During our run-through, she told me she'd ask him for some people, a trumpet, and a saxophone.  (She's her father's daughter.)  

Once Maddie Bear saw the big guy in person, however, all that practicing went right out the window.  

 She was definitely unsure about the whole process, but she wasn't completely freaked out either.  I'm pleased to report we've now had three Santa visits without shedding a tear.  

Showing us Madeline's name written on his "nice" list.  

 The only way we could get her up to see him was to go up there with her.  She sat on my lap uneasily for about one whole minute before she retreated to the safety of Dada's arms.

I love the similarities in Madeline's body language between this year's pictures and last year's.   The only real difference is that she's bigger.

 After pictures were finished, Madeline asked the elf for a candy cane, and we wandered around looking at all the Christmas plants and decorations.  There's also a pretty cool train set that Madeline enjoyed watching while she nom-ed on her candy.

 After this trip, I am totally in the Christmas spirit.  I can't wait to see Madeline's face on Christmas morning after Santa pays a visit to our house.

 P.S.  Thanks for the pictures, Mimi and Bob!