Thanksgiving weekend is usually DC’s big step into the Christmas Season.

We normally go away for Thanksgiving and the weekend after. Once Thanksgiving Day is officially over, Friday and Saturday are usually all about Christmas.

There are a few standard stops that we make each year, one being the Santa Express or the North Pole express.

We like to arrive at least an hour before our appointed departure time so that DC has enough time to spend in the train station.

He writes and mails his letter to Santa at the special post office.

There is always a Princess or two walking about . This year he met Princess Poinsettia. If you ask DC about her he will tell you that she is the princess of the Christmas Flowers.

She came by and spoke with him more than once. They had a good long conversation about his upcoming train ride. She told him all about the Elf training and made sure he knew to ask for a report card when he got on the train (which we did).

She spent a lot of time with him and he was in his glory.

He enjoyed meeting the many characters that were wandering about.

He particularly loves listening to the singers singing Christmas carols.

He was excited to see that the singers were the same singers as last year. They were fabulous with him last year and even asked to have their picture taken with him (and we all know how much DC LOVES to have his picture taken)

Last year, 2018

He found them first in the Gingerbread House room and he followed them around, so much that I felt like a stalker. He followed them out to the main room where he requested “Deck the Halls” and sang along to Deck the Halls and every other song that they sang. They were almost apologetic when they had to take a break and put the regular piped in Christmas music back on.

When they came back to play some more, he was right there. They told him that they remembered him from last year (of course they didn’t but he was happy to believe that they did). DC actually asked, on his own (he usually has me do it) for a picture with them. He absolutely loves listening to them and I must say, they both have the perfect personalities to be doing just what they are doing.  He just adores them.

It was finally time to board the train. We found our seats. He met some elves. They gave him his elf hat and his elf-in-training report card, just as he and Princess Poinsettia discussed earlier. And we were off.

There was singing, dancing and joke telling along the way and DC passed every Elf Academy test.

It wasn’t long before we spotted Mrs. Claus. Now, DC is a big fan of Mrs. Claus. Sometimes I think he’d rather see her if given the choice between the two.

As Mrs. Claus made her way through the car, stopping at every single seat (as you would and as she always does), Doug moved to an empty seat so as not to block access to DC and so there was space for me to get a photo.

A couple of years ago I was convinced that Mrs. Claus was out to get me because everywhere we went and everywhere DC met her, she gave him a bell. Mrs. Claus did not do that on this day (Thank you, Mrs. Claus), she stopped and chatted with DC and we took a picture. She continued on her way stopping at every seat including the one where Doug was sitting by himself and said hello.

Did I mention that he loves Mrs. Claus? Did I?

He saw that Santa was heading his way and he was getting more excited by the second. He could hardly contain himself when Santa was at the seat right across from us because he knew he would be next.

Santa finished up with the kids in that seat, turned around, looked at DC and walked right past to the seat behind us.

If you could have seen the look on DC’s face…. He was crushed.

As you can imagine, I was not having any of it and YELLED “Excuse Me” to which Santa turned around and looked at me, still oblivious to the fact that DC may have wanted to talk to him so I gave him one of my well cultivated death stares and motioned toward DC.

He said “Certainly” as if he was doing me a favor and took a photo with DC. There was no conversation; he just posed for the picture with DC and went on his way.

If I had not been able to get his attention before he finished the last two seats behind us, he would have been off in another car and DC would not have seen him at all.

DC was happy to get a picture with him at least.

Now listen, I understand that DC is a “bit” older than your average passenger but seriously, we are on THE SANTA TRAIN.

He was sitting there wearing an elf hat and holding his elf-in-training report card.

It is not up to you, Santa to decide who might be too old to want to talk to Santa. Not up to you at all.

You stop at every single seat regardless.

I have to imagine that this was one of Santa’s fill-in helpers and not the real Santa because the real Santa would have known better than to skip over any one.

I think Santa may need to call all of his helpers back to the North Pole for a little Awareness training.

I’m sure DC, since passing his elf training would be happy to help.

But seriously, the rest of the day was fantastic and I can not say enough about all of the other people working both in the station and on the train.  They went over and above any expectations we might have had.

Unfortunately, with Santa being the “main event”, the slight was that much more disappointing. How long does it take to stop and say hello? I was not expecting any special treatment nor do I ever ask for special treatment. I do expect that he be treated in the same manner as every other passenger on the train.

That is not a lot to ask.

As I said earlier, Mrs. Claus was good to me and did not give DC a bell….

The Elves…..

They gave him a bell…

It is a full week later and he is right at this moment ringing it behind my head.

The Elves; they were also very nice to him so I can forgive the whole bell thing 🙂