The Polar Express

I played around with the title.  I almost called this post "The Polar Express: Tales of Toddler Tantrums".  Or "The Toddler Hell Express" or maybe even "The Polar Disaster" but then I thought that might be a little strong.   Let me give you one picture that describes Beckett experience.  This face for 1 hour on a moving train with no where to go. Awesome.  A mom's dream. 

We had a beautiful afternoon drive to Palestine, Texas. About 2 and 1/2 hours north of Houston in route to  Dallas.  The home of the Texas Railroad Express which hosts the special event, the Polar Express.  When we get there, the train itself is rather impressive.  Blowing steam, huge, red and a little boys dream or should I say one little boy.  From the time we got out of the car, Eli was super excited.  Beckett, was well, in a really bad mood.  He would not let me put him down, he would not go to anyone else.  He was in a funk and he meant he was going to be in one.  We all did our best to cheer him up and get him excited about The Polar Express.  There were times when it worked, and times when it didn't.  I do love some of these sweet photos.  I love their Christmas pajamas and I love the Lightening Mcqueen slippers that Uncle Bubba sent them for Christmas.

Getting our tickets

Love this little guy even in his worst mood

Checking out the train with Poppy

While we waited we did several fun things.  We had our picture made with the conductor.  Oh and Beckett loved that.  I said can you tell the conductor Merry Christmas to which he yelled "No" over and over. It was awesome.

We took our official Polar Express photo.  Not too bad I don't think.

We waited at gate #3 for our turn to board the train.  We entertained ourselves by playing iphone apps of course and Eli taking pictures with the camera (his new obsession) wonder where he gets that?

Taking pictures of Dee Dee

Eli's picture.. not too bad!

Then we finally got to board the train! That was really exciting.  What was not exciting was the wait for the train to get going. Disaster.   The boys fought over seats, Beckett wouldn't do or sit anywhere we wanted him too. Eli was having such a good time and so excited but it was hard for him to enjoy with Beckett being so crabby :-(

Fighting before we started

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wouldn't sit in his seat

So they both loved the singing. They both clapped and once we were rolling I thought we were in business for sure.  Then came the hot chocolate and cookies.  Hot chocolate would be a hit for sure!  I mean, it wasn't even hot is was like chocolate milk.  Beckett took one sip and declared "yucky" and then started screaming for milk which we didn't have (huge mistake #1 should have brought milk).  After what seemed like a lifetime we finally arrived at the North Pole.  Which honestly, Eli loved.  He was so excited about the lights and Santa Claus but my neighbors had better lights.  It was really sweet to hear him ooh and aah over the lights and North Pole to the soundtrack of The Polar Express.  Even Beckett calmed down and looked at the lights.

Then came Santa Claus!  This was the beginning of the end of the fun for Mr. Beckett.  Santa gave each child a bell.  A really great silver bell that had Polar Express printed on it with a red string. How we made it home with those bells I will never know.  After the bells were handed out, we sang jingle bells.  Eli LOVED this.  He loves the song sang it and loved shaking his bell.

That is the ELI face!

And then the wheels fell off.  There was a mix up with the bells somehow. One fell in the floor and then Beckett thought Eli had his so he snatched Eli's and then Eli got really mad and then they both threw huge tantrums.  The bells went projectile under the other passengers seats, red faced screaming ensued.  Eli was brought under control rather quickly once his bell was returned to him, Beckett never recovered. For like seriously 20 minutes he screamed. I tried dancing with him, he was throwing anything he could get his hands on, if I put him down he tried to empty the seats, bite, thrash, oooohhhh...mmmmm..geee.. No where to go, moving train, people STARING, trying to sing carols and my child is totally 100% out of control.  There was nothing I could do.  Nothing.  It got really hot, I was sweating, holding him in my lap, I think at one point I tried to just hold my hand over his mouth so he couldn't scream, talk in his ear, nothing worked.  If there had been a "throw baby from the train" door, we would have jumped seriously awful.

We finally after what seemed like an eternity pulled into the station.  I grab our stuff to make a hasty exit and snap! Just like that, it stopped.  He started smiling, "bye bye train" What??  No way, don't be happy now that I can get off the train and deal with you!  I have never in my life got a child in a car seat as fast as we made it out of there. I would not even let Poppy stop for the bathroom!  We hadn't had dinner and the plan had been to go eat afterwards.  No way. No way, not a chance I was sitting in a restaurant with my hoodlums. Lucky if they leave the house again for the next 10 years!  So we ate in the car at Whataburger so they could watch Woody and be just as happy as they could be.  Could have saved a lot of money!!

We made on last stop about an hour out of Houston for some yummy frozen yogurt and a bathroom break.  The demons apparently had been temporarily exercised because they were back to their happy little selves.  And after a couple of hours, I had calmed down enough to talk to them again.  Or be trusted to be alone with them :-)

Oh memories.  I guess this is what the terrible two's are all about.  It was a hard learning lesson for me.  I am getting the payback for sure for my antics as a little one.  Pray for me okay?  Pray for my children that together we survive twin terrible two toddler hood! 

All ABOARD!!

Love, The Riley's!