7:36 a.m.
Up and at ‘em! Mom and Dad say vacation time starts now … with breakfast! We head to Donutology for the breakfast of champions: donuts! Dad’s choice was called Sweet Bacon o’ Mine, a combination of maple syrup, bacon bits, and caramel drizzle. Mom gets a s’mores donut. Meanwhile, my brother Sam and I each get a Fruit Puff (that’s a donut laden in strawberry frosting, Fruity Pebbles and marshmallow drizzle!). Usually, Mom and Dad tell us to eat our meal before dessert so you can imagine what a thrill it is to practically have dessert for our meal!
9:03 a.m.
A sugar rush gives us the energy we need to hit our first attraction: Crown Center. Our noses lead the way, right to Chip’s Chocolate Factory on the second floor. It’s no wonder it smells so good! Employees make fudge right in front of you and show you the process that’s involved from start to finish. From there, we check out the Crayola Store. We peruse all kinds of arts and crafts supplies and even make our own creations in their art room to take home!
10:00 a.m.
It’s showtime! Mom and Dad treat us to a showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Coterie. Sam and I love the movie and can’t wait to see the same show performed live. The theater is small with seats on the floor for kids that wish to get extra close. If you want to sit with your parents, you can do that, too! We choose to sit front and center. My brother and I giggle when we hear the music … how can you not when you hear Vince Guaraldi’s famous Peanuts theme?
11:11 a.m.
Wow! What a show. We make sure the cast of characters know how much we loved it by clapping extra loud at the curtain call. Mom says that we’re going to see a Christmas tree that’s so large it will make any standard Christmas trees look like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree in comparison. I can’t wait to see what she means! But for now, it’s time for lunch. Crown Center has a ton of different restaurants that make all kinds of delicious food from curry to barbecue to New York-style pizza. Dad says he has a place in mind because of how it brings the food to you. Sam and I wonder what he means, but we find out as soon as we enter Fritz’s, a greasy spoon joint where families order menu items like burgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders by phone. After it’s cooked, your food takes a trip on a train that runs overhead and delivers directly to your table. I’ve never gotten a cheeseburger that way before!
12:27 p.m.
After lunch, it’s time for a treat. Dad stops at Topsy’s to purchase some yummy popcorn. I love caramel the best, but Mom really loves the cinnamon. Mom and Dad pick out a nice Christmas can as a gift for Grandma and Grandpa. Before we leave Crown Center, there’s one more stop in store: seeing the man in the red suit himself inside his winter wonderland. I can’t wait to tell Santa about all the wonderful memories we’ve already made in just half a day.
1:02 p.m.
Mom says our next destination is just down the road and she isn’t kidding. Just a couple of blocks away, we find ourselves at Union Station, a train station that has a movie theater, planetarium, kids museum and restaurants inside! All the festive holiday decor and twinkly Christmas lights nestled within Union Station’s main hallways glow magically. Dad treats us to a ride on a miniature Christmas train. Afterward, we view one of the biggest Christmas displays made out of miniature trains that I’ve ever seen.
3:37 p.m.
We wander back to Crown Center Ice Terrace for one last treat: ice skating on the terrace. We watch as a Zamboni smooths the ice so that it’s shiny like a marble, and then we are off in a whirl on our skates. When we circle the rink, I spot the biggest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen in my life. Mom says this is the tree she was telling me about earlier in the day. It’s called the mayor’s tree and she’s right: It does make any standard Christmas tree look like Charlie Brown’s in comparison!
5:52 p.m.
We pile into the van and Mom turns on the Christmas radio station. Dad takes us to the Country Club Plaza, where we have dinner and cap off the night with a horse-drawn carriage ride.
8:39 p.m.
It’s been a day full of fun, but Mom and Dad say we haven’t even scratched the surface of special activities here in Kansas City. I can’t wait to see what we’ll do tomorrow. But, for now, I’m happy to drift off to sleep, full of memories and hopes that sugar plums will dance in my head!
Lauren Greenlee is a local writer and mom to three charming boys.