Santa's Workshop

The elementary school had an activity this past week called Santa's Workshop.  There was going to be some shopping for inexpensive gifts (between $1 and $10) and there was also supposed to be cookies and a visit from Santa.  The event was canceled once because of a snow day and then rescheduled for another day that happened to be snowy and with freezing rain.  We had to park far away in a distant dirt lot and walk through the snow and freezing rain (with all four kids) to get to the event in the school, but I was trying REALLY hard to still have a happy outlook about our adventure. 

When we got inside we found out we couldn't just go in and shop, we had to wait until our color was called.  They had to control the flow through the shopping area apparently.  So we sat and waited...for an hour.  We did get to see Santa while we waited.  Here is Matthew with Santa.

And Anna with Santa.

They also had some face painting.  Or at least they did when we first got there.  Anna got a snowman. They also had cookies and juice boxes for the kids, coloring pages, and the movie Polar Express playing on a big screen.

Grant even got to see Santa.

John was getting fussy but finally our color was called and we got to go into the shopping room.  I was very disappointed with the selection of items to buy.  Everything was dollar store quality or worse and they were charging up to ten dollars for some of the stuff.  None of the fliers for this event ever said it was a fundraiser, but I hope the school was getting something out of it.  When I saw what there was to buy (things like plastic trophies that said "World's Best Grandpa") I wanted out.  Especially after waiting so long and having two slowly melting down toddlers.  Anna had been expecting to be able to buy Christmas gifts for the family at this event, and try as I might, I couldn't talk her out of it.  Matthew had already bought his gifts at a much classier shopping venue, Walmart.  So I helped Anna find the least garbage-y things there and we checked out and left.  I later complained vocally about the unpleasant school event to Scott.  Anna thought it wasn't very nice of me to complain because people had worked hard to put on the event for the kids, and she was right.  I shouldn't complain.  But next year we're skipping the shopping part.