We had this mobile toddler thing down to a science. We had survived (thrived!) a weekend away with these two, we had even cleared a few hurdles placed in our way. No sweat. Our visit to the Mystic Aquarium had only strengthened our confidence. Suddenly, our world opened up. So many ideas and trips, and vacations suddenly became a real possibility.
So what if they absolutely lost it when a quick trip to the mall turned into an impromptu visit with Santa. Note to self: No line does not automatically mean happy kids for Santa. Sometimes it helps for them to see other kids go first.
We (mostly) recovered from that mistake. Time to find holiday fun that didn’t necessarily include any upfront and personal time with Santa.
Luckily, we stumbled upon two perfect experiences.
First was the Mitten Run at Blue Back Square in West Hartford, CT. It was a 5k filled to the brim with costumed runners. There were elves, penguins, gifts, and yes.. at least one Santa. I’m not sure if the duo didn’t realize who was pushing them along the course, or if they knew it was just TT Dad dressed as Santa, but they did phenomenally.
All bundled up!
They enjoyed the entire run. TT Dad, however, didn’t have nearly as much fun. He hadn’t practiced running with our double jogger (the Baby Trend Expedition), really, neither of us had. Turns out it had a little difficulty at the faster speeds. The locks would begin to engage as TT Dad was running, as if running a crowded 5k with a double stroller isn’t difficult enough.
Run, Daddy, Run!
He ran most of the way while pushing down on the handle, to pop up the front wheel. This seemed to keep the back lock from falling onto the wheels, and allowed TT Dad to run without pushing a locked stroller. The event was so much fun for all involved, and we’ll be participating again, for sure!
Next up was a visit to Santa’s Workshop.
The Indian Rock Nature Preserve, in Bristol, CT, holds an annual Santa’s Workshop. A quick overview of the event made it sound like a fun afternoon. There were crafts, live animals, a hay ride, food trucks, and cookies! What more could you ask for?
We were amazed at the popularity of this event. There was a line to purchase tickets for the hay ride to Santa’s village. We were entertained by holiday music performed by a festive band playing your favorite holiday tunes. Children under one are free, and since our duo had recently turned one, we paid for four admissions, at $7 per person.
We found out we had a few hours before it would be our turn on the hay ride. A plan of attack was thrown together. We would explore the indoor exhibits, then let the duo romp around outdoors, while we had lunch from the food truck. Luckily, it was a beautiful day.
Once inside, we found the room where you could write letters to Santa, and send them off through the post office. Both of our littles wrote very in depth letters (aka scribbled) but we forgot to mail them. Shhh! Don’t tell!
We checked out the gift shop, the bake sale, the indoor waterfall, and found our way downstairs, where the live reptiles were on display. The duo really enjoyed seeing them all, but didn’t want to touch them.
The craft room was very busy, and overcrowded, so we decided to skip that for now. We headed back outside, and found some open space. The duo played in the grass while TT Dad put in our order with the food truck. The kids loved climbing up and down the hill while we waited for our food. Once it was ready, we all enjoyed some good food, before taking a walk.
Hugs or Hat Stealing?
The Indian Rock Nature Preserve has miles of nature trails, a lake, and 280 acres of natural habitats. In addition, there is a demonstration farm, complete with an apple orchard, and farm animals including sheep, a cow, chickens, and turkeys.
We found the farm animals, and enjoyed learning a lot about the Nature Preserve, and each individual animal from the volunteers and employees who were happy to impart their knowledge.
After a bit, we returned to the hay ride loading area, to find they were still not quite ready for us. It wouldn’t be long, but we had enough time to run back to the car to do a quick diaper change, since we didn’t see changing stations in the restrooms. Our minivan has seen more diaper changes than our changing table. But again, more on that later.
We got back just in time. I can still remember the exact moment we realized Garrett LOVES Nature. Yes, capital L-O-V-E-S. He was in complete awe of his surroundings. Zoey was not quite as engrossed, but she enjoyed the ride plenty.
Hay Ride
Once the tractor made its way to Santa’s village, all passengers were unloaded. We asked the driver if we could just stay on for the return ride, as we didn’t expect the duo to find any enjoyment at all while meeting Santa again. Thankfully, they allowed us to remain on, and we enjoyed the second half of the trip.
As we loaded everyone back into the car, we decided we would love to make this an annual tradition. Who knows! Maybe one day, they will enjoy a visit with Santa!