The Houghs: For Santa

Seasons Greetings, America.

It certainly didn't feel like December out there this weekend, did it? Personally, I'd attribute the 57-degree weather we had these last couple of days to global warming, buuuuut those Republicans out there reading this might not agree with, you know, the science.

Anyway.

Kris and I decided that seeing how the weather was eerily nice and all, we'd round up the offspring and shuttle them downtown for their annual visit with Santa at his Midland residency. We always end up waiting in a line outside the Santa House for about a half hour or so, so we opted to do it while the weather was in the 50's, opposed to next weekend, when it's supposed to be in the 20's (you know, like it should be in December, in Michigan.)

There were a few different things to do downtown his year, actually: once again, there was a train that cruised around the downtown area, along with horse-drawn carriage rides, free hot chocolate, and blocks of stores with special Holiday displays and themed activities. We managed to do quite a lot in the hour and a half we were down there, and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Definitely lucked out with the warm weather.

(Sorry about your luck, ice caps and polar bears.)

Smurf this:

The train showed up to the downtown area the same time we did, so the kids got to see it randomly driving down the street by Kris' church.

We showed up about a half an hour after the whole downtown Christmas thing started, and they already had the horses out taking people for rides around the block.

The kids in front of what I believe is Midland's City Hall.

Alayna's new thing is to turn an otherwise cute, family picture into. . . well. . . this.

Reeeaaally hilarious.

Kris' friend, Kim, came along to see Santa with us, and brought along her own daughter, Makayla.

We had waited about fifteen minutes in line for the carriage when I decided to 'switch lines' and hop in line in front of the Santa House instead. When we had gotten in line for the carriage, we figured based on the number of people in front of us, we'd be on the next carriage. As they loaded it up, however, they filled up with the folks directly in front of us, so we were at the front of the line for the next carriage instead. That meant at least another twenty/thirty minutes of line-waiting and carriage-riding, before we moved over to the Santa House and got in line there. I decided to take a bullet for the team and forego my chance of a horsey ride.

This is what was happening while I was just standing in line, like a sucker.

This guy decided to show up about ten minutes after I nabbed a quasi-close-to-the-front spot in the line. I like to think he girls were all appreciative of my sacrifice today: by the time they showed up, the line behind me was snaking down the sidewalk away from Santa's House (I was standing right in front of it, fortunately.)

Me and a couple of my roommates, standing in front of Santa's House.

Here's another one of my roommates.

They had actual reindeer on hand this year, which was pretty cool.

The kids were obviously pretty stoked about this.

Suddenly, these two started jostling and head-butting each other, trying to shove one another around with their antlers. I've seen it happen in Bambi before, but never in person.

Abby tries to determine which two of Santa's reindeer are held in this pen. In Midland, Michigan.

Here's your obligatory kids-in-front-of-place-we're-visiting picture.

Those statues don't look like elves so much as gnomes or dwarves. Someone doesn't know their Tolkien.

Being creepy.

After twenty minutes, we made it to the front of the line, right in front of Santa's ominous red door. Abby had smacked Alayna in the back just as I took this picture, hence the weird looks on both girls' faces. By this point, they were understandably funned out with waiting in line all afternoon.

Finally inside Santa's crib.

I think that woman in the pink jacket wants to kill my wife. No idea why.

Couple kids in a sleigh. We pounce on photo ops in this family.

And here's a couple of old people thrown in, for good measure.

Abby was mesmerized with these bottom-shelf animatronics and their self-playing piano.

How terrifying would it be if Makayla started shooting fireballs out of that hand?

This random gnome/elf/troll/whatever gives people in line the exact, same "what the f*** stupid crap just came out of your mouth?" look I give my students at school.

Next in line to see Santa. Not that they're excited or anything. . . .

Santa and the Cannonball.

Santa, giving the kid the business. Alayna asked him for a foot spa this year. Seriously.

Abby's turn.

Abby gave Santa a laundry list of booty she wanted this year, including an RV Camper for her doll, Hatchimals, and some Star Wars stuff.

Photo op with both kids.

Santa got street cred this year.

Ka-boom.

Taking our leave from Santa's House. . .

We decided to hop in line for the train next, and were pleasantly surprised to see that due to our impeccable timing, we were able to literally just walk onto the train without having to wait. Booya.