K & T have seen Santa at my school's Polar Express night for the past three years, but this year there was a change in plans and Santa wasn't visiting. I dreaded the "wait in line for Santa at the mall" experience, so I felt a little stuck as to how to get see Santa and stay sane. A couple of my friends reminded me about the fun activites that local outdoor gear store had for kids while they wait for Santa, so we packed up one night and decided to give it a try. It was such a pleasant surprise, and a fun evening, plus, we got some great photos!
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| T especially liked the shooting range that was set up for kids. |
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| K liked the craft that was available. She happily worked at the table while T was shooting, and Daddy saved our place in line. |
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| She colored too. |
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The store's decorations are pretty fantastic, with lots of places for photo stops.
Then it was our turn to sit with Santa. The wait had gone pretty quickly, and the kids were busy with the activities and hardly noticed what we were actually there for. I was a little anxious about how they would do when it time for sitting on his lap. |
But they did great! The store actually gives you the photos for free, with ordering information if you're interested. When asked, K said she wanted an 'animal purse', and T said he wanted a stuffed dog to sleep with. Both kids assured Santa that they had been good this year, which of course, they have been.
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| There were more activities to do on the way out of the line, T could have played here all day. |
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| Monkey see, monkey do, he took a shot, and I want a turn too. |
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| Yeah, these were conviently placed near the line too. The kids thought they were 'awesome'! |
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| She's a natural! |
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| Driving a boat. |
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| Cute captain of the ship. |
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One last picture on our way out.
It was a great evening, we got to see Santa, with cute pictures to boot. I know where we're headed next year! |
