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Feast Or Family: The Beef House

From The Editors — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:33:27 +0000

By Megan Gillette

Over the past few years, I’ve found more and more excuses to go across the Indiana border, where the hills just start to roll, to The Beef House. Whether it’s a trip to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or a need for festive fireworks from Shelton’s (in the big red barn beyond the Covington exit), I feel a subliminal pull to the giant halls with a large, carved, wooden steer head, past the large glass cooler display of fresh beef cuts, and into the carpeted rooms with cushy captain’s chairs on wheels and large windows looking out to woods and pasture. It’s a classic steakhouse my grandparents would have taken me to for a gin and tonic, where the tonic was just an afterthought.

Credit: Flickr, McPig

Most people are familiar with the regionally famous white rolls served with house-made strawberry preserves and soft butter. I absolutely have to limit not only my intake of these but also my kids’. They will eat these until their tummies are round and there is no room for the delicious steamed broccoli with rich cheese sauce and applesauce that they must eat if they think they will ever get another chicken tender/leg/breaded shrimp. The kids’ menu is fantastic and has set a high standard for other kids menus we encounter.

Included with adult entreés are soup and salad. I can’t even tell you what the other soups are because the broccoli cheese is the only one I ever order! It’s not too heavy or salty, just a clean, creamy cheese base with small florets of tender broccoli-superfood. Although I can’t remember having tried another soup, everything I’ve tasted there is prepared at a level which leaves me no room to complain, so if you don’t like a cream base in your soup or share George H.W. Bush’s distaste for the green vegetable, do not hesitate to try another.

The salad bar is one of the best. Not exotic, but full of the best-tasting comfort sides and accoutrements. My favorite are the crunchy, creamy pea and cheese salad; chick peas; fresh fruit in season; pickled beets; raisins; sunflower seeds; and the thick, chunky, homemade blue cheese dressing that is a hallmark of a fine steakhouse.

Now as I’ve written before, I’m not much of a red-meat eater. My husband loves all the beef cuts, but I opt for surf and turf. I’ve always enjoyed the classic shrimp cocktail served with spicy sauce in a martini glass with fresh lemon. The shrimp are huge, not over-cooked, and well chilled. I may follow that with an incredibly tender petit filet and baked potato-toppings on the side. If you decide you need the fried onion rings, you will not be sorry. Recently, I’ve discovered the grilled shrimp, which are large, butterflied and prepared simply with fresh lemon. They are light, perfectly cooked and oh-so savory.

Dessert? I’ve never actually made it to dessert because of everything I’ve just mentioned. I may have another half a roll with strawberry jam, and perhaps an Andes mint sold by the check out. This is the point in the meal where you are thankful your chair is on wheels and it’s been a nice sit, because you’ve certainly settled in.

After we gather ourselves up we stroll across the parking lot to the nearby pasture and visit the horses. They let you pet their soft noses as you reflect on your experience of a time gone by: less hurried, comforting, family-oriented, and satiating on every level.

Hmm, I wonder when we’ll “need” fireworks again …

Verdict: FAMILY!! I would feel I cheated if I didn’t bring the kids. The waitresses are patient and kind, all food is prepared fresh from quality ingredients, kids will be on their best behavior in hopes they might be brought back. Oh, and they will pass out on the way home, which is a pleasant drive into the sunset, past the fields and farms.

The Beef House Restaurant is located at 16501 North State Road 63, Covington, Ind. They are open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Remember, these times are Eastern, so you’ll want to add an hour when checking your Central time watch.

Megan Gillette is a mother of two active little boys — FIT kids (Foodies in Training). In her “spare time” she is a senior graphic and web designer at Wolfram, a real-estate broker with TeamKay at Keller Williams, and a real-estate maven for the family holding company. Megan is in constant pursuit of perfect food, exciting dining experiences, and farm-to-fork meals with her husband and personal sous chef, Kurt.

‘Girl Talk’: Advice From Mom, Teen Daughters

From The Editors — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:49:31 +0000

By Nicole O’Dell

It’s great to be back on this awesome blog to share some fun news with you. I’ve recently had the incredible privilege of compiling an advice Q&A book, “Girl Talk,” with my two daughters and blogging partners, Natalie (14) and Emily (11). And we want to invite you out to the Champaign Family Christian Store on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where the three of us will be sharing some treats and signing copies of our new book. Come visit!

First, check out some of the issues we cover in our book:

"Girl Talk," written by Nicole O'Dell and her daughters, is a question-and-answer style book for teens. Credit: Nicole O'Dell

Q: My mom is always on me about what I wear. I just don’t see why it should matter to her. I mean, she got to wear the things she wanted to wear when she was young. The styles are different now, though. She won’t let me wear any shirts that show even a fraction of my stomach, and I have to actually bend over in jeans to prove to her that nothing shows in the back, if you know what I mean. She even says there’s stuff in the Bible about the way to dress right. Is that true? What should I do to change her mind?

Q: I have a friend who is pretty skinny, but she thinks she’s fat. … I actually heard her make herself throw up in the school bathroom a couple of times. What should I do about it? Or is it none of my business?

Q: I recently lost a lot of weight and started high school at the same time. I’m getting all sorts of attention from boys, and I just don’t know what to do about it because it’s so new to me. I kind of like it … but I’m nervous. What should I do?

That last one is a question I would have asked if I’d written to “Girl Talk” at the start of my freshman year of high school. But, I didn’t know to ask. I didn’t know I was facing a challenge. I simply reacted to things as I faced them. And I made mistakes. Many of them.

Each of us has a set of experiences and circumstances — some within our control and some not — that shapes the way we look at choices, temptation, peer pressure, and everything that comes up along the way. If we can help prepare girls before they find themselves staring peer pressure in the face, they’ll feel more equipped to stand strong. To say NO to whatever life throws at them.

And bad decisions are one thing, but there’s also the stuff girls deal with that they have no control over: divorce, abuse, loss, grief, illness, financial strain, and more. Those life-altering circumstances make it even more difficult for girls to stand against the pressure when all they want is friendship, acceptance and love.

It takes pro-active, intentional effort to make the necessary preparations to help teens combat peer pressure.

That’s why my daughters and I started the Girl Talk Column on my blog. We wanted to give girls a place they could go with those tough questions about life. The column grew, and the questions built up to the point when we, along with Barbour Publishing, decided to put 180 questions from readers and our answers into a book. But it’s not just any book; the vibrant, trendy format has a scrapbook-y feel as each page is full color with graphics galore.

Nat, Em, and I hope you’ll pass this resource along to the teens in your life. Also, the Girl Talk column is ongoing. You can write to us with your questions anytime!

Remember, it’s all about choices!

And if you’d like to win a copy of Girl Talk, signed by all three of us, leave a comment here. Tweeting about this post will earn you another entry if you let us know you did. I’d also love it if you signed up for my Choices e-Zine/newsletter, too — that will earn you a third entry!

Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Teen Talk Radio, is a mom of six, ranging from 20 all the way down to a set of toddler triplets. She writes fiction for teens including the popular “Scenarios for Girls” interactive fiction series and the “Diamond Estates Series.” Emily is a straight-A fifth grader at Eastlawn School in Paxton, Ill.; Natalie is an honor student in the eighth grade at Paxton-Buckley-Loda Middle School.

Kids + Anniversary Cruise – School: The Verdict

RachaelMcMillan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:50:40 +0000

“Now I feel like I’m home.”

My son said these words on the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica. A casual observer may have thought he was expressing his love for the sand and the waves, but I knew what he really meant.

A few hours earlier — not long after our ship pulled into port — Jack was crying, screaming, and refusing to set foot on land. My little boy was painfully frightened of the adventure we had planned for him.

He declared Jamaica to be “no place for an American” (he does not get such ideas from us, I swear) and was, with each passing moment, getting more and more worked up about it.

The entire McMillan family took an anniversary cruise to sites like Montego Bay, Jamaica. Credit: Flickr, Sarah_Ackerman

When he said that he felt like he was home, he really meant that he didn’t have that awful anxious feeling anymore. It was wonderful to hear, but I’d be lying if I said that his meltdown a few hours earlier didn’t leave me thinking that bringing the kids along had been a horrible, horrible mistake.

We knew Jack was an anxious kiddo, which was one of the main reasons we decided to take him and his sister along on our 10-year anniversary celebration/vacation. He is still a very parent-oriented little guy, and we figured the stress involved in leaving him behind would be greater than the stress of taking him so far away from home and out of his routine.

But, I suppose neither my husband nor I realized just how anxious he is. We recently found out that Jack learned of the Costa Cruise disaster while we were still on board (we were desperate to shield both kids from this information during the trip), but looking back, my guess is his anxiety was already firmly in place beforehand. It’s something we’ll need to deal with head-on.

Thankfully, all’s well that ends well. Jack summoned enough bravery to soldier on and even enjoy himself a great deal. He now thinks Jamaica — and Grand Cayman, and Cozumel — are brilliant places for an American to visit.

And, if we could do it all over again, we still would choose not to leave the kids at home.

Scott (the husband) and I can also 100 percent appreciate the argument for booking Grandma and Grandpa to watch kids while the adults take their own, separate vacation. We realized early into the cruise that, one way or another, our kids would have been just fine while we were gone. We were also acutely aware of the freedom we gave up when we decided to bring them along.

As a side note, I’m not sure how I managed to fool myself that the kids wouldn’t fight on the trip— if anything, they seemed to go even further out of their respective ways to get on each other’s nerves. But even their semi-frequent bickering didn’t get in the way of a fabulous, relaxing vacation.

For anyone who is wondering, the children’s programming on the ship was excellent (even if the kids’ room hours were a little bizarre). It truly allowed Scott and I to have the alone time we needed to toast 10 years without refereeing arguments or securing another ice cream cone for a child.

I finally have a picture good enough to make me replace the serene stock photography that cycles through my computer’s backdrop: it’s a photo of Seven Mile Beach, Georgetown, with my daughter raking her fingers through the sand in the foreground and my husband and son letting the waves wash over them in the background. It’s the way I’ve always pictured Heaven, and it alone is worth the price of the trip.

Rachael McMillan just took part-time job number 5,482: teaching sixth- and seventh-grade history at Campus Middle School for girls. She also tutors at The Reading Group and serves as the education coordinator for Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade retailer in downtown Champaign. She is totally in love with her Chambana life, which she shares with husband Scott, kindergartner Kate and first-grader Jack.

Educational Toys: The Beauty of Building Blocks

From The Editors — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:37:10 +0000

By Jeni Weisiger

Building blocks are one of the oldest toys — so simple, but offer endless opportunities for learning and play.

Blocks range from tiny to extra large, which allows both fine motor (small muscle) and gross motor (large muscle) development. Blocks can be given to a young child to mouth on, bang together, bang on things and explore using two hands to manipulate their surroundings. Older children can expand block building to include science, pretend play and direction following.

The possibilities for projects and fun with building blocks are endless! Credit: Flickr, lobo235

I personally love the variety of play which can be observed when children are left on their own to engage in blocks. I have seen children build towers, learning about balance and shape. I have observed young children compare the sizes of blocks in their hands and make a preference toward one or the other.

The possibilities with building blocks are limitless — and sometimes children need our help to channel these possibilities.

Taking some time to explore a set of blocks can open up new language and conversations for you and your young child:

Use descriptive words: small, tiny, medium, big, large, gigantic, tall , wide, biggest, smallest, leaning, crash, explode, again.
Building blocks can offer a venue for pretend play: make buildings, boats, trains, towns, homes, a forest, anything.
Measure household items with your cube blocks: “the couch is 25 blocks long, and I am 12 blocks tall.” Keep a chart or pictures of what you measure!
Try painting with wood, exploring the domino effect, making patterns and more.

And, join us at Class Act for a chance to explore all these dimensions of block play along with peers! Call 217-766-5964 or visit http://www.classactinteractive.com for more information!

Jeni Weisiger is a Developmental Specialist in the Early Intervention Program and teaches infant massage classes to parents and caregivers. She is new to the area and looking for ways to be involved with early childhood in Champaign County.

Video: Getting Your Kids Back To Sleep

From The Editors — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:24:49 +0000

We hooked up with Heather and Drew on WCIA 3′s ciLiving during their “Dream Week,” to share our tips and tricks for getting the kids back to sleep after a bout with nightmares — or a January thunderstorm!

Life With Jack: Daddy

From The Editors — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:48:42 +0000

By Kara Downs

When Jack turns sixteen, he and Mike have a date to travel Route 66. In a convertible. Listening to Johnny Cash on the radio. This trip will fulfill a promise that Mike first made to Jack when Jack was a newborn. Mike would stand by Jack’s bed, patting him softly, and whisper all the plans he had for the future. He would sing Johnny Cash songs, repeating the words, “I’m gonna break this rusty cage and run.” The bond formed between the two has only grown since those early days.

Jack and Charlie's daddy, Mike. Credit: Kara Downs

When Jack finally came home from the hospital, Mike and I took turns sleeping with him, waking often to monitor his breathing. I would often walk in to find Mike sleeping, his arm extended and his hand resting on Jack’s stomach. I knew that at the slightest movement, Mike would wake instantly. I slept deeply, knowing Jack was safe.

Through the years, I have watched in wonder as the bond between Jack and his daddy has grown. Mike has stayed home with Jack since the beginning, and he has been taking Jack with him wherever he goes. In his early years, Jack was more of an observer. At Gold’s Gym, Jack would sit in his stroller (and then his wheelchair), “helping” Daddy feel the burn. During early trips to Jimmy John’s, Jack would keep his daddy company, taking a taste of mayonnaise every so often. At the mall, he would watch the world go by as he and Mike did their laps.

Once Jack started school, these trips were delegated to the weekend. Now Mike and Jack have “Daddy-Jack” day every Saturday. Jack chooses the activity, and he is much more participant than observer. Sadly, he only lasts about ten minutes at the gym before he loses patience for the next adventure. He still loves Jimmy John’s, but now he eats a third of the sandwich instead of just tasting the sauce. The mall is still a favorite, but now Jack gets more excited going into stores and “shopping.”

I admire Mike for many things, but the way he loves his sons is at the top of my list. Watching Mike with Jack (and Charlie), whether they are creating art, washing the car, or creating another awesome Halloween costume, I am content. In my darkest hours, I never imagined a day when Jack would be healthy enough to take that trip with his Daddy. Now, my only question is whether he will let Mike drive!

Kara Downs is an English teacher at Centennial High School. She lives in Champaign with her husband, Mike, an artist and writer, and her two sons. Jack, was born three months early. His prematurity caused bleeding in his brain, leading to cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. Jack is a bilateral quadriplegic, unable to sit or stand unassisted. He is also nonverbal. Jack had a twin sister, Bridget, who survived for 18 days. He also has a 3-year-old brother, Charlie.

The FatherLoad: What Super-power Would YOU Choose?

From The Editors — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:22:51 +0000

By Kevin Wilson

Recently my 7-year-old son, Kael, approached me concerned and asked, “Dad, if you could have any super-power which one would you choose?”

“Now that’s a hard question,” I responded. As I thought through my database of super heroes in my mind, I made a quick pros and cons list (Here is a more thorough database of super-heroes and their powers).

A super-hero question deserves a super-dad answer. Credit: Flickr, Digital Sextant

“There is Spiderman’s ability to climb, but then again, Superman’s ability to fly, and Daredevil’s enhanced senses,” I began in my mind.

But then Kael interrupted me, “This article I read here asked this question and look at the answer: It says, ‘If you answered Super Speed then you are Normal.’ So am I not normal Daddy?” he said, on the verge of tears.

As you might imagine, our conversation went from fun and interesting to extremely important!

First, I wanted to see for myself if the careless writer of the question really placed that statement in a child’s magazine. Yes, it was an advertisement for National Geographic for Kids, on page 9 of the December issue of Boys’ Life.

Second, I wanted to clarify to Kael what the author probably meant by “normal.” So I explained to Kael that what he probably meant — but did not make clear — is that most of the children they asked probably answered the same thing, in this case “super speed.” But that doesn’t necessarily make it the best answer, as it is really just an opinion question, and it certainly doesn’t mean the children who answered “super speed” are healthier, smarter or better than the children who answered differently.

But I clarified that, assuming the best of the author, he or she probably didn’t use the most accurate word or phrase to communicate his intent, which was simply to share some results from the question.

Third, I wanted to take advantage of this parenting moment.

“I’m so glad you are not normal, as in ordinary, Kael. I don’t think you are ordinary, and I don’t want you to strive to be ordinary.

“Do you know what Bear Grylls says is the difference between ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary?’” I continued. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little word “extra” at the beginning of the word. Extraordinary people are willing to go just that little bit extra at various points in their lives when they could follow most people, quit altogether or cut corners. So I’m glad you are not normal or ordinary, but special and extraordinary, and I hope you keep striving to not just live a normal life but an extraordinary one!”

Phew. That was a close call. One disaster and some future therapy for Kael avoided for the day.

After thinking and writing about it I am officially inspired again — or was it just, yet again, hearing the words of Bear Grylls.

Oh, and by the way, after 48 hours of processing the question, my super-power would be the ability to use my imagination to use any of the super-powers at any given time I needed one, or a combination (but maybe that is cheating).

Kevin Wilson is the Pastor of Confluence Church in Champaign. He is an active volunteer with C-U One-to-One Mentoring and Motherlands Multicultural Resource Center in Champaign. Kevin is married to Esther, who works in curriculum development in Champaign schools. They live in Champaign with their three children, Kael, Emma, Seth and their yummy Chocolate Lab puppy, Mollie.

Tales of a Teen’s Mom: Party Peril

From The Editors — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:54:07 +0000

By Dina A. Meek

Oh, those halcyon days of the grade-school birthday party. When my only concerns were to make sure I’d addressed all potentially deadly food allergies, invited everyone in the class to avoid hurt feelings, and managed to keep 25 maniacal kids from breaking limbs or chipping teeth. If only the teen/tween party were that easy.

I knew I had moved into more hostile territory when recently, in the aisles of Prairie Gardens, the conversation with my almost 13-year-old daughter went something like this:

Party hostess (aka her): Mom, can we get these plates and napkins?
Clueless party lackey (me): Uh, wow, honey those are a little expensive.
PH: Well mom, my party can’t be lame!

Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.

I had – I realize now, foolishly – assumed her small Halloween-themed sleepover for four would be one I’d organize and oversee much as I had when my children were younger. And pliable. I suppose the fact it practically took an act of Congress for my daughter to finalize her guest list should have been my first clue about how these things would now play out.

Creating a fabulous party was easier before the teen became a teen. Credit: Dina Meek

Then, there were the aforementioned decorations. Everything I picked up was deemed “too childish” — her actual words. You would think this mega-holiday would offer a line, or even a whole store, catering to the tween/teen party demographic. Neither too childish nor boringly adult. And did I mention party activities? Forget bobbing for apples, as I had done at Halloween parties in my past. Not only is drooling over a communal tub of water now accepted as pretty gross, who wants to get their face wet for the kind of chump change my mom stuffed into the apples as a prize?

When it came to food, we had a lactose-intolerant challenge to get past (note: you really cannot trust a rice crispy treat recipe lacking in dairy products). But, of course, what was more an issue was the plethora of cute kitty-cat-faced designs that would surely have evoked the “c-word” from my daughter, who was sounding more like a junior Martha Stewart with every passing day.

In the end, I did figure it all out. I let my daughter design e-vitations (highly recommended). I mapped out a neighborhood scavenger hunt using cell phones to capture images of the items (to avoid knocking on any strange doors). I hunted down tween-friendly recipes for things like “dragon’s blood punch,” and found the craft store to be a Godsend in terms of game prizes and party favors (the black cat dispensing jelly beans from its tail-end was particularly fun).

I can now cross this mothering milestone from my list and offer a prayer of thanks that my 15-year-old son has, thus far, made birthday parties even easier than they were during his grade school years. A birthday party? Seriously mom? How lame.

Dina A. Meek is a writer, wife, mom, gardener, soccer fan and chocolaholic living and working in C-U. Her adventurous spirit has carried her from city to country life; now, she is happily settled somewhere in between. Read more at The Crisis Chronicles.

Life With Jack: Holiday Reflections

From The Editors — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:07:42 +0000

By Kara Downs

Today, I told Jack and Charlie that Santa Claus was watching, so they’d better stop whining about the television. I walked away, muttering under my breath about stockings filled with coal and empty boxes under the Christmas tree.

What a difference seven years makes.

On Christmas Eve, 2004, Mike and I were barreling towards Peoria, desperate to arrive soon after the helicopter carrying Jack back to St. Francis Hospital. Neither of us spoke; each of us knew what the other was thinking, but putting it into words would make it real. I was clutching a small stuffed animal that my 4-year-old nephew had placed in my hand before we left. It was his Christmas gift to Jack, and he wanted to make sure we put it in his crib.

Some Christmas memories, like this one, are cherished, while others are unwelcome. Credit: Kara Downs

We still have that stuffed dog, as well as memories of our worst Christmas. I went from holding Jack in my arms, home at last, to sitting in a hospital room less than 24 hours later, watching as Jack was prepped for another surgery, one of five he would have during the next month.

Our Jack is, as you all know, a survivor, and we had him home by the first days of February. The memories of that Christmas, however, lingered. Jack had been through so much by that time, so it would seem that Mike and I would be prepared for anything. But c’mon, it was Christmas. Perhaps it was because the expectations were so high. I bought him a Christmas-tree outfit, after all. We had been strong through the past three months. We deserved a merry Christmas.

Our Christmases have definitely improved over the past few years, but there are still some residual effects. I am more tense as Christmas Eve approaches, more prone to snap at Mike over nothing. Although we’ve never discussed this, I know that we’re both on high alert, the memory of that Christmas coloring our enjoyment. Memories are like that, I’ve found. It’s not the ones that are in the forefront of your mind that get you. It’s the memories that hide in the dark corners, the ones that feed on your lingering terror.

But even the darkest memories, the most terrifying images, fade over time. The tiny infant dressed as a Christmas tree, the one that I kissed on the cheek before he was carried away by a Life Flight paramedic, is now a strapping seven-year-old who squirms away when I try to kiss him before he gets on the bus. On Christmas Eve seven years ago, Jack’s Daddy and I promised Jack the world if he would only stay with us. Today, I threaten to take away Christmas if Jack doesn’t obey.

So here’s my Christmas wish: not Jack’s continued health and happiness (that’s a daily wish); not even a completely stress-free Christmas. My wish is that our family is able to banish the ghost of Christmas past, push out the lingering fears, and celebrate all that is good.

Happier Holidays: Introducing Toddlers to Santa

From The Editors — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:58:57 +0000

By Jeni Weisiger

Visiting Santa as a toddler has to be the oddest experience! With the onset of stranger anxiety (a stage most toddlers experience where they are fearful of new or unknown people, places or things), the over whelming atmosphere of a mall, and the expectation of waiting, it’s a phenomenon that even one toddler can enjoy sitting on Santa’s lap.

A little preparation can make a toddler's trip to Santa a happy holiday occasion. Credit: USACE Europe District

With all these obstacles, how can we provide support for a positive experience resulting in adorable pictures, lasting memories and little to no tears? Again, I advocate preparedness! (Toddlers need a lot of this, over and over and over again.)

Books. Reading books about Santa or going to visit Santa is a great way to begin preparing your toddler for his or her visit. Point out things about Santa in the pictures: “Oh, he has a long white beard,” “I bet Santa’s red suit is soft.” Reading books can bring up questions your toddler has about this mysterious man.
Pictures. See if you can find pictures of other family members sitting on Santa’s lap: older sibling, cousins and, if your lucky and organized, maybe pictures of your self as a child visiting Santa.
Taglines. Practice some of Santa’s taglines with your toddler. This will give them some confidence when they come face to face with his jolly old soul. “Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas.” “What would you like to Christmas this year?” Give you toddler some script to say back, some thing as simple as “Ho-Ho-Ho” or “Where is Rudolf?” Even practice what they would like to ask Santa for.

The day of the big meeting try to pick a time and place that might not be so busy, a school night for example. While you’re waiting in line, bring some of your Santa books from home so your toddler can have something familiar. Talk about what is the same about the Santa pictures and the one you are about to see. Practice your taglines while you wait, or practice taking pictures. All of these things will give your toddler some control and confidence during their visit.

If you have to wait a long time, have one adult stay in line, while another adult takes your toddler up to watch other children have their visit with Santa. (Hopefully these are positive experiences!)

With all the preparation ahead of time your toddler should be well equipped to enjoy and maybe even ham-up their experience with Santa! Enjoy.