yearly visit to St. Nick

Amidst all the Nutcracker chaos, we made our annual pilgrimage to Santa's Workshop. We had a cold day, with a few snow flurries, for our visit, and the kids eagerly dashed up the walk to find our friends, T and D.



The kids await their turn with the Jolly Old Elf, after registering their gift requests at the Head Elf's office.










J volunteered to go first. He told Santa that he didn't care what he got for Christmas, anything would be fine. Santa joked with him a bit about what he might bring, before suggesting that maybe he'd like toys. (J agreed.) Santa also told him to go to bed early on Christmas eve. A request that I have no doubt J will follow.







Zoo Boy happily gave Santa his gift requests, and then was stunned (as was I) when Santa asked him about his eating habits. He left Santa with instructions to try beans. He was a little horrified, but I told him that since Santa knows everything (something that Zoo Boy has been insisting), then maybe he knows that Gabe will like Beans.

(I found it a bit of magic that Santa seemed to know about our eating challenges!)


The kids chat with Mrs. Claus and munch on cookies and hot chocolate.







Admiring the enormous decorated tree.














The three of them climbed into Santa's sleigh on their way out and sang a Christmas Carol at the top of their voices together.

Very sweet, very magical. T and I basked in every moment, wondering how many more years we might get to enjoy them having this experience.

And then we ran off to a Nutcracker rehearsal.