Jingle Rails

One of our local museums gets in on the holiday action ($$) by putting up a display of model trains running through various model monuments loving crafted from bark and such. It expands every year so that keeps it interesting, but to be honest if you aren't three and obsessed with trains, it's really not worth the money, IMHO. However. One of us is three and obsessed with trains, and one other of us has a university ID badge that gets us into the museum for free. Thus, it is becoming a tradition to go see the 'Christmas trains'.

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

Monkey decked himself out for Christmas with a mustache, scotch tape and mehndi. He's a very multicultural holiday celebrant.

Christmas Party

Grandpa T plays french horn for a local group that hosts an annual Christmas party. This year, they entertained the kids with a magic show and then played a Christmas concert while the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. Monkey was deeply suspicious of the magician, even leaving the theater at one point because it was too scary. As soon as we got into the lobby he wanted to turn around and go right back in, where he glared through the rest of the show and refused to clap. He was much more excited about seeing Santa, and was happily entertained by his red balloon while we waited. Once he got up on Santa's lap he whispered the whole time and told Santa that he wanted "a toy". Poor Santa tried to get some details but was unsuccessful - luckily for us Monkey told Mrs. Z earlier in the day what he was going to ask Santa for... "wheels and pistons". Mrs. Z asked if they should be attached to a train or not, and Monkey seemed okay with that idea.

First Snow

A few weeks back we had an evening snow that didn't last the night. Monkey had to head out and investigate, of course. He really loves his Frog hat and won't leave home without it.

Mr. Z's Birthday Decorations

Monkey was very excited about both Mr. and Mrs. Z's birthdays this year (they're two weeks apart). For Mr. Z's birthday (the later date) Monkey decided to go all out and decorate the house for our 'party'. First he covered the entire downstairs in blue sticky notes. Then he went back with a blue pen and embellished the blue sticky notes with pictures, presumably of trains. Monkey and Mrs. Z made a chocolate cake for Mr. Z and then he got to open his presents. It was a very festive day indeed.

Jingle Bells

We have several things to post, but this uploaded first and slightly out of chronological order: