Santa at the Legion

The sign was my favorite

We tossed around the idea of making a quick run up north on Saturday to watch my nephew in The Nutcracker (Fiona and I really wanted to see that). But we ultimately decided that it was too far for too short of a time - especially knowing that Friday would be a late night with the Holiday Fest. Instead, we researched Breakfast with Santa options (the Y wasn't doing it this year) and found one Saturday morning at the American Legion - conveniently located right by our house.

It was delightfully not crowded when we got there. Mike and I got the biggest kick out of the welcome sign (and no, we did not have a beer). Dec wanted to see Santa right away, so we got in line behind one other kid and very quickly got our turn with the big guy. They each sat on his lap and told him what they wanted ... then all piled in for a group picture, which I didn't feel bad about because no one was waiting behind us. They each got a really nice fleece snowman blanket and a bag of goodies from Santa's elf too! The blankets have been a hit.

After Santa, we got pancakes, eggs, and sausage - and let me tell you, these people packed it away. They were hungry (and not used to waiting until 10am for breakfast). Once their bellies were full, we checked out the face painting, manicure station, and craft tables. They each got their fingernails painted and a holiday picture on their cheek. They also made new ornaments for our tree. We were there for just over an hour and never felt crowded or rushed. It was such a fun and relaxing time!

Santa wandered around when he wasn't busy and Dec would always give him a shy little grin. He was impressed - even though he repeatedly told me that he was "just Santa's helper. Not the real Santa."

Our visit was successful, Santa has been checked off the to-do list, and this was just the beginning of the fun we packed into Saturday. Perhaps we were over-compensating for the disappointment of missing the Nutcracker ...

When you are tired and NOT amused by your sister
And a glimpse of the CUTE face painting!