Santa Success!

This year was the 5th year we have visited Santa and the first time we have awake and non-crying boys!  This year Liam not only gets Christmas but he remembers last year's Christmas (not anything specific but he can anticipate what will happen).  Ben doesn't get Christmas but he does understand the concept of Santa Clause from watching the Team Umizoomi Christmas episode, I think.  He keeps saying "Danta Cause, ho ho ho!"

So, we woke up on Saturday morning and told Liam we had two surprises.

The first surprise was going to Stone Soup Group for a special needs Christmas party with a sensory sensitive Santa.  Stone Soup works with special needs families in the Anchorage area.  Instead of having to wait in line for Santa, we had an appointment.  Santa was in a room with no distractions or noise.  Last year, Liam was too overwhelmed to tell Santa what he wanted loud enough for Liam to hear.  This year was a wonderful experience.  Liam climbed right into Santa's lap and declared "I want a big fire truck and an airplane for Christmas!"  While Santa was talking to Liam, Ben was slowly making his way to Santa, while holding my hand.  Ben climbed into Santa's lap and kept smiling and jabbering on in jargon (baby talk).  I asked if Ben wanted a play tent, dinosaurs, or a fire truck, and he said no to everything.  He was talking non-stop and smiling so I told him that I was sure Santa knew what he wanted.

We got this photo:

Afterwards, Liam wanted to stay at Stone Soup and make crafts.  Ben just crying for Santa.  When we left Stone Soup, Ben was crying "I want Danta!" and Liam was crying he wanted to stay to make more crafts.

The second surprise was a train ride with Santa on the Alaska Railroad.  I need to download the photos from my camera, but Liam was beside himself with excitement.  They provided coloring sheets and water, and then came through with model trains to take home and fruit snacks.  There were two sets of carolors going through the train, as well as Santa.  Ben was overwhelmed by all the excitement on the train as you can see in this cell phone self-portrait:



Ben was excited by the movement of the train, but overwhelmed by all the excitement on it.  Liam loved everything about the train.  Both boys were so exhausted from all the excitement that they fell asleep on the drive home.