Santa Claus and Yuletide Traditions

We had heard great things about seeing the Santa Claus at Keystone at the Crossing, so we decided to try it. Unfortunately, we arrived an hour early (mixup on the website). Fortunately, we were able to take care of a couple of quick shopping errands, and we were at the front of the line. The girls enjoyed drawing pictures, listening to music, and writing letters to the North Pole while we waited.





Afterwards, we went to the new(ish) food court at Keystone at the Crossing and had a nice lunch. Then we went to Pottery Barn Kids where they played for a long time with the dolls and the dollhouse. It was when we were heading home that Moira said, "What about going on the train, like we do every year?" I thought we might start a new tradition this year, but I was quickly compelled by my 6-year-old to go downtown to the State Museum to see the Santa Claus and ride the train as we had every year since Moira came into this world.




So, the following weekend, we squeezed a lot of traditions into a Sunday afternoon. We arrived at the State Museum when it opened and went straight to see Santa Claus there. He was a lovely Santa and spent a long time talking to the girls. Afterwards, we went to the train that is a replica of the L.S. Ayres train my brother, sister, and I rode when we were young.





From there, we walked across downtown (through the Statehouse so that I could show the girls where I spend some of my time). They enjoyed seeing all of the Christmas trees decorated by school children from around Indianapolis. After a quick break in the warmth, we walked the rest of the way to Monument Circle and landed at Au Bon Pain for lunch. 


And then it was time for all of the ladies to go to Yuletide! As a long-time theater lover, this is one of my favorite holiday traditions because it combines all aspects of theater into a holiday variety show that is geared for people of all ages. The singing is magnificent, the symphony's orchestral arrangements are brilliant, and the stories, like "Twas the Night Before Christmas," complete with puppets, are so rich and nostalgic. This year they even featured a mashup of Frozen, sung by the men in the company. The girls were mesmerized, and it certainly helped us to enjoy the spirit of the season.








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