Father Christmas (Part 4, just seemed excessive!)

We found a lovely farm to visit just a few days before Christmas and there were so many activities for the kids to enjoy.  First, the kids took part in the Nativity Play.  We've never seen anything like this before and we loved it!!  The kids got to choose which part they wanted to play and the boys all opted to be shepherds.  Kate decided she'd prefer Daddy to hold her.  The little guys got matching costumes and they were so cute!  They even had little lambs to carry.  There were lots of real animals around too, which made it even more special!

Everything was going well as the narrator read the Christmas story from the animals point of view.  See Emerson pointing so happily?  Then ....

The talking cow appeared on the scene and things went downhill.  The littlest shepherd is not so fond of the talking cow.  He started crying and was frozen in his spot, so I had to go rescue him.

Then Jackson started crying too and a sweet lady shepherd that worked there took him to sit by her.  After a few kind words he was ready to go back with the shepherds.  Emerson thought he was too, but then that big, bad cow kept showing up!  Mathis did his best to console the littlest shepherd.

The kind lady shepherd trying to comfort him.  When I spoke to her afterwards she said she knew they'd be so much happier if they could participate so she really worked with them instead of sending them to sit with us.  I thought that was so sweet.

The whole cast ...  luckily, the cow was in the background!

Next, there was a craft barn where the kids got to choose different projects to make.  Kate's was a snowman, the boys chose stars, and Mathis made an angel.  There was a lot of glitter involved.  Here there are just outside the barn, ... you tell trouble is brewing, just look at Emerson's face and Jackson's legs ...

 And they're off ... sweet Kate, still holding her sparkly snowman. 

 

 They were barns full of animals, lots of baby pigs, bouncy castles, big foam slides, and those big pits filled with balls that always made me very claustrophobic when I was little.  Well, actually, the first time I remember playing in one, I was a teenager on the way to teen camp.  But I was still claustrophobic ... they just suck you in.  And there's creepy stuff at the bottom.  Anyway, the kids loved them!  When you first arrive you get assigned a time to see Santa, which is so nice because there is no waiting in line!

So our time arrived and we were off to see Santa (or Father Christmas as he is most commonly called here) and his grotto.  I was pretty certain I knew what the word grotto meant, but decided to look it up because I was having a hard time putting the two together.  So ... for your reading pleasure, a grotto is "any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans."  Hmm, why is Santa, excuse me, Father Christmas in a cave?  

He had two lovely elves that escorted us to see Santa.  It was very cave like, dark tunnels hung with burlap and lit with Christmas lights.  There was a nativity scene constructed of fake humans and real animals to entertain us on the way.  And then we arrived to find Santa in his sleigh.  There were plush reindeer for the kids to hold, which they loved.  Here Santa (aka FC) is telling them about his bell.

Our last stop was the child sized tractors ... fun for everybody!