Christmas Festivities

The Saturday after Thanksgiving (was that already a month ago?), we went over to Riverwoods (a fancy shopping area near our home) to have dinner, a treat, and see the lights.  A few days before Thanksgiving, when Kent drove home from work, he saw the lights and suggested we go.  The children were not compliant when it came to getting ready, so we didn't go that day.  Every day thereafter, until we actually went, Brandt would say, "Can we go see the light show?" or "Are we going to see the lights tonight?" or my favorite, "I am just desperate to see the light show!"  My children have such a dramatic streak.  They get it from Kent.

When we finally went, we invited my mom to come with us and had rather a nice evening.  We ate and then wandered around looking at the all the beautiful lights.  There was a horse drawn carriage ride, and we were there early enough in the evening that we hardly had to wait at all.  The horses had bells, we sang carols the children (ours and others) knew, and enjoyed the brisk air and smell of horse poop as we jingled through the lights.

We had promised the children a treat, and unfortunately, we chose badly when it came to what kind.  There was a waffle truck serving what looked like really yummy waffles with fruit and whipped cream.  Of all the options--ice cream, waffles, a caramel covered apple or pretzel--the children insisted that waffles sounded the best.  Although delicious, we had to wait 40 minutes for our two waffles.  That's right.  FORTY MINUTES!!!  There were only two people working, they were inundated with orders, and they were hand cutting strawberries for each waffle ordered with fruit.  I'm not completely stupid and after 25 minutes suggested we ask for our money back and go get something else (it was cold as we waited and getting colder all the time), but the children threw a fit, insisted on the waffles, and nearly fell apart at the thought of anything else.  So we waited.  Brandt and Blythe danced around on a lighted stage, hovered around the open fires, and periodically came to me to whine they wanted their waffle.  When we were finally offered our treat, they were delicious, but I think no waffle, however delicious, is worth a 40 minutes wait in the cold.

All that said, we did have a nice time and the horse ride was especially great.

Blythe and Brandt dancing on the sparkly lit stage to excessive loud Christmas music

The horses drawing the hay-filled wagon.

It was a real true hay ride.

Brandt moved, and with the camera setting, it looks like his spirit is departing his body.

A 40-minute waffle.  

Topped with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream.

In the time it took them to make us this waffle,

we could have driven home, stopping by the store for strawberries,

made waffles, topped with all the same ingredients, 

and we could have all had three of these puppies for the same price as the two we bought.

And we would have been warm doing it.

Oh well.