It just so happens that the North Pole isn’t where you thought it was. It’s here, in the Adirondack Mountains, alongside a steep mountain road. And today we drove through a sheet of rain to get there. Our 5-year-old stuck his hand out the window and, when the rain pelted it, announced, “We’re getting close. I feel ice.”

“This is really the North Pole! I thought it was cotton, but it’s ice.”

Our boys want a Wii, and for months now I’ve been telling them to write it on their Christmas lists, hoping they’ll forget about it. No luck. And so today they dropped by Santa’s house to talk to him. For $17.95 per person.

“I want a Wii, and a jumping motorcycle, and Lego Star Wars, and a doll for my sister…”

Only Santa was more interested in getting a group photo of us.

For $14.99, I ordered an “ornament” to surprise Matt for Christmas. But during pick-up I saw that that price was just for the photos; the globe ornament in which to house them was over $20. On principle I refused to buy it. So now I have 4 smaller-than-wallet-size photos of my family on Santa’s lap (me, included, because our toddler wouldn’t stay with Santa and who can refuse the big guy?) if anybody wants one. You can’t blackmail me with it though.

We walked over to the reindeer barn to feed Rudolph.

“Do they fly? Do they really fly?”

Each child got a bag of crackers for $1. I considered feeding those to the kids, rather than pay the snack prices, but the elves were staring at me.

“I’ll put our fire out to make sure you don’t burn your hooves.”

We walked to the blacksmith to see how reindeer shoes are made. They were only $3 each, but when you have three children, your mind automatically multiplies everything by three. Especially prices.

“Do they hurt when you put them on?”

Then I saw a sign for free face painting, so I went in. A freakin’ toy store.

“I want you to draw a bat on my face! …okay, a present then.”

I should have bought the damn Wii.

All joking aside, our children loved the magic of The North Pole and I highly recommend it.

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