And because we do, one of our favorite family activities riding aboard the Polar Express. We have rode to the North Pole from Helena, AL and from Bryson City, NC, but this year we rode from Chattanooga, TN. We decided to stay the night in the Choo Choo hotel - the kids seem to enjoy the hotel package with everything from elf crafts, to the model train museum, to pictures with Santa and of course the train ride. The hotel used to be an actual train station. The rooms aboard the actual train cars looks very cool, but they were sold out by the time of our last minute booking. There were train displays everywhere... Bryce called every display, every train car we walked by, and every picture on the wall, the Polar Express and wanted to know when we could ride.
It was freezing waiting to board, but warm and fun once aboard. Mary Winters read us the story, we sang carols and ate cookies and chocolate drink. Bryce didn't want to take off his jacket because he was holding onto his ticket. He wanted no chance of it falling out of his pocket (like in the story).
They lined up with the other kids to announce over the microphone what they wanted for Christmas. At least they were consistent this year for anyone who asked this month, Ava responded that she wanted a Barbie (never knew which one, just a Barbie) and Bryce responded with Zurg (and yes, every time they repeated back to him something different because they had no idea what Zurg was).
Sorry for such a long post, but it was a fun filled day. The hotel also had elves come tuck the kids in at night. Funny stuff. Ava was quiet as usual, more or less hid under covers unsure and Bryce was practically bouncing off the bed, he was so excited. Here he is doing the "I love you" sign instead of the pinky swear that the elf was trying to get him to do. I think they were pinky swearing not to tell Santa that they brought them treats in bed (pes dispensers).
