All Aboard the Polar Express!

I loved The Polar Express movie as a kid.  I remember watching it (along with The Sound of Music) during the holiday season.  It’s been several years since I last watched it and I admit my memory was a little vague on the storyline.  I recalled a train to the North Pole, but that was about it.

Still, I bought our family tickets for a first class ride to the North Pole through the California State Railroad Museum.  I want to bring the magic of Christmas to life for them and watching the excitement on their faces made me so happy.

We arrived at the train station early to explore Old Sacramento with all of the holiday lights shining.  Maxim loved exploring the train station.  He walked up and down the platform, staring up at the trains and exploring to his heart’s content.  Malia, still a little fearful of the Elves and Santas, stayed nearby until the carolers started singing.

We boarded the train and got comfy in our lounge chairs, enjoying fresh baked cookies and hot chocolate in our souvenir Polar Express mugs.  Both kids clapped along as the performers came through, dancing to Christmas music.  Malia loved looking through the pictures of the Polar Express book as we did a read-along with the train conductor.  Both of them were thrilled to wave goodbye to the people walking along the platform and kept their eyes peeled for the Christmas lights of the North Pole.

I’ll never forget the look on Malia’s face when she caught sight of the “North Pole” up ahead.  She had her neck strained as far as it could go, trying to catch a glimpse of Santa as his home approached.  Maxim and Malia both clapped their hands and waved as Santa appeared with his elves, their houses lit with bright lights and snow falling around us.  It was a truly enchanting moment.

Before the train took us back, Santa came on board and presented everyone with their first Christmas gift of the season – their bell for the tree.  Maxim kept trying to swallow his.  Malia held hers in her hand and told me that she couldn’t wait to put it on the tree.

And I wiped away misty-eyed.  There’s just something special about the magic of Christmas.