Santa Claus is coming to town...

Our family Advent activity today was to meet up with Aunt Andrea and Aunt Violet to see Santa come to town on the Metrolink train.

This year we took toys for the fire-fighters drive "Spark of Love." Libi even got to pose with some firemen.... as Aunt Andrea pointed out, she will like this much more when she's older.

As an added treat, she got to sit inside the firetruck!

The fireman tried to get her to stick her head out the window, but she was a bit overwhelmed.

Santa was running almost an hour late, so we had to fill a great deal of time.

Libi walked around, made new friends with the boys standing next to us, and messed up everyone's hair when she was on their shoulders.

We also took a lot of photos: Andrea and Violet,

Ron and Andrea-- I love their photos together,

finally Ron and I.

Then we heard it--- Santa was here!!!!

This year the train went right past where we were all waiting...

and stopped at the far end of the station. We all moved to where the show was going to be and we were lucky enough to get a really great spot!

First up were the singing reindeer...

which Libi didn't seem too sure of.

But when Santa and Mrs. Claus appeared...

she was in awe!

It's amazing to me the difference a few months can make. In November she really didn't want anything to do with Santa. We began telling her about how he brings presents and her friends at school started talking about him and by the end of November she was his best friend. She wakes up in the morning asking to go see Santa (and usually some Disney character :).

The show was quite hokey this year-- complete with an Elvis-like elf!

The streamers at the end are always exciting...

until they get stuck on you-- then, not so much!

Despite the long wait, Libi really enjoyed herself...

and that is why we all came!

Afterwards the characters were available for pictures. We met Santa,

the white bear,

the brown bear,

Mommy's favorite, Rudolph, and

Frosty! It was a cold, but enjoyable evening.