Visit to Santa's Workshop

South Bend has a great Santa's village downtown every year.  They get the most gracious, authentic, and kind Santa Claus to man his post a couple days a week.  We visited yesterday with some good friends.  The trolley is the first stop.  (Or rather the first "go".  And--as a side note--a family got off just as we were trying to get on.  The dad said, "DO NOT GET ON.  That was seriously the worst experiences of my life.  If you know what's good for you, you won't get on."  Then something-something about a noise.  We ignored him, having been on the trolley before, and went about our merry way with him watching us all incredulously.  I thought of Noah as I watched him walk away, whispering to his wife.)

It was fun, even with that unauspicious start.  I mean, it's a bus, right?  And it was heated, right?  And we did hear an outrageous squeal from the engine for a few painful seconds there at the start, but that didn't happen again, so I'm not quite sure what old Noah was preaching about.

Then we met Santa.  Mimi forgot to tell him what she wanted the first time around, so we had to go back.  And Bella was absolutely terrified of him, clinging to my shoulder like she was being led through a haunted house instead of a North Pole wonderland.  Olivia thanked Santa for her My Little Pony from last year, and clearly and seriously explained that she wanted a kitty Webkinz for this year.  (Sometimes, with all her lack of spaztastic outrageousness, I wonder if she's really my child.  And then I remember who her father is, and it's all made clear.)

And then to the College Football Hall of Fame, where cookies were decorated with frosting (Mimi's motto: You can never have too much) and sprinkles (Bella's motto:  Sprinkle them all over the floor.)

John frosted Bella's cookie and gave her a taste of the frosting.

She didn't know what to do with it, but smiled anyway.

We love visiting Santa, and thanks to you, South Bend, for having this lovely opportunity.