The Krauss Family: All Aboard!! The Krauss Family Christmas Express!!

Thanks to the genius that is Pinterest, we started a new family tradition on Christmas Eve Eve. Caroline has loved reading The Polar Express book and watching the movie this year. So when I saw an idea to create your family's own "Christmas Express" adventure on Pinterest, I knew Caroline would love it.
First, I printed two of these tickets onto cardstock and cut them out (link here):

We put one on Caroline's pillow (she's sleeping on the floor in Matthew's room while Matt's brother is visiting :-) and one on Matthew's crib mattress:

Then, the real fun began! Luckily, Caroline can't tell time yet. So we ate dinner early and told Caroline it was time for bed right after dinner. It was only 6 p.m. but she didn't know the difference, ha

While Matt was upstairs getting Matthew and Caroline ready for bed, I was downstairs popping popcorn, putting treats together, making hot chocolate and loading up the car.

Matthew got to have fishies and milk and Caroline had a bag-o-treats (popcorn, fishies and a lollipop) and hot chocolate:

When Matt called downstairs and said "Mommy, come kiss the kids goodnight, they're ready for bed" (that was the 'code sentence'), I ran upstairs with my camera. Caroline immediately saw the golden tickets on her pillow and Matthew's bed. She couldn't figure out what they were for. Matt and I were screaming "The Christmas Express is here"...she was so confused:

We explained that the ticket was special because it was her pass to board The Krauss Family Christmas Express, which was going to take them to see lots of Christmas lights. Matthew was oblivious of course but Caroline quickly figured it out. She kept saying "I'm not going to bed? We're going somewhere fun? I get treats? I love surprises!"

Her reaction was priceless:

Loading up in the car and discovering the goodies:

Off we go! (we flipped Matthew around so he could see the lights...don't judge :-)

One of our favorites, the Singing Pandas & Santa's mailbox on Deloache:

Pulling up to the house on Hunter's Glen with the singing Jack-in-the-Boxes and amazing lights. Always breathtaking!!!

Caroline wanted to go peek into the BIG yard. She looks so small.

We found our VERY favorite house this year on Beverly Drive...a pretend Santa "handing out" candy. The really good kind of candy :-) We had to fight the teenagers off, but we were able to make out with some twix and skittles which made Caroline's night!