Mundelein families have breakfast with Santa

Santa and Mrs. Claus dined with young believers Saturday at the Mundelein Park and Recreation District's first Breakfast with Santa.

In addition to sharing their hearts' desires with the North Pole's jolliest elf, children - mostly between the ages of three and seven - played games and made crafts.

Crystal Argomaniz, 8, and Christian Argomaniz, 5, of Mundelein, decorated unicorn and snowman ornaments and made "food" to leave for Santa's reindeer team on Christmas Eve.

Their mother, Maricela Gonzales, said she all three of them enjoyed the event and didn't mind at all that the weather felt more springlike than wintry.

"I like a warm day," she laughed, "who doesn't?"

Mundelein High School typically hosts an annual Santa breakfast, but didn't this year, said park district marketing manager Christa Lawrence. So the park district employees decided to serve one up with support from Integral Orthodontics. The Mundelein orthodontics practice co-sponsored the event and supplied an original game, Poke-a-Tree, where children retrieved candy and prizes from a tree made of plastic cups.

"We're always looking for some new events," Lawrence said, "and Santa events are very popular."