Tis the Season!

Four days off of work has been wonderful for me and Mommy. The boys have been just a joy to be around these past few days as we started early our Christmas joy.

Turkey Day this year was pretty uneventful. It was the first time since Colorado that we were all alone with no visitors. Just Mommy and her boys did a little cookin' and had a great Thanksgiving meal. Daddy's fried turkey with Cajun Butter marinade and Mommy's homemade noodles and sweet potatoes hit the spot perfectly.

The boys woke up happy and played and played and played all day!

The train table has become such a fun play place for both of them. And Ethan showing off his turkey shirt that Auntie Elizabeth got him.

While Daddy was frying up the bird, we did a little bit of "dual" Play-doh time. Surprisingly Ethan did great with it as well.



Bath time has become quite an adventure for Mommy, two little slithering monkeys has made for fun moments...especially with the Big Hambone!

Friday was of course the day most go shopping, but our tradition is to head to the National Museum of Transportation to see SANTA arrive on the Jolly Trolley!!

We got there a little early and were able to play for a bit in Creation Station, Ethan is really starting to get fun at places like this!

And then it was on to find that TROLLEY! WHO CAN IT BE!?!?!?!

It's SANTA!!!

We were first in line to see Santa and we prepped Aidan for all that it would entail.

• Daddy to Aidan: Santa is going to ask if you have been good? You've been good, right?
  
  Aidan to Daddy: YES!
  
  Mommy to Aidan: Santa is going to ask you what you want for Christmas, and do you know what you want to tell him? And what do you want?
  
  Aidan to Mommy: (rapidly) I want Legos and Matchbox cars and garbage trucks and that Batman thing from the toy book and....
  
  Mommy to Aidan: Let's just pick one thing to tell Santa, OK?
  
  Aidan to Mommy: (pouting, lip curled up) But...
  
  Crisis averted as Santa called us to come over :)

Now, we knew Ethan would freak, he's certainly too young to Santa time, but Aidan did great...and sure enough, he told Santa EVERYTHING that he wanted :)




After Santa, we needed to warm up a bit so we headed back inside the museum and did some crafts..here's a great shot of Mommy and E:

And they had a live steam model train too...really sweet!! (look closely for the steam)

So after an uneventful lunch at Aidan's favorite (Red Robin), it was back to the house for naps. When the boys got up, it was time for one of our favorite traditions, putting up the Christmas tree. This year, Aidan too got to pick out, put up and decorate his very own tree. He picked the lights too and really wanted the "colored twinkling kind"...and so it was done...

He got special car ornaments and put the star on top all by himself.




The concentration is intense....and posing with his final masterpiece!!

Next, it was on to the big stuff.



Aid was in heaven with all the Christmas toys he hadn't seen in a year...



...and that includes the TRAIN! Now new and improved with TWO tracks! Boo-yah!



I know two little boys trying to score "brownie points" with Santa :)

Oh Ethan, if all the world was made of garland ball rope...you'd be in 7th Heaven.







I call him, "Mr. Tangler"....it took me 10 minutes to untangle that mess. :P

Aidan again was great with the tree and helped decorate it!


He is particularly fond of one ornament that when you crank it, it has a train going around and plays his favorite Christmas tune, "Jingle Bells".



Nice Antlers.

The final product looks great, same as always, but still Christmastime is when our house looks best all year.

So wish us luck and prayers tomorrow, Aidan's right side ear tube that we had put in three years ago is going to be surgically removed (the left one fell out some time ago). They typically fall out on their own, but unfortunately for the big guy, this one didn't and it's really time that it comes out. We've gone long enough with them in (typically they are only to stay in 18 months), so it's time it comes out. It's a bummer that he has to go through full anesthesia for a very quick procedure, but this is how things are done now. After the surgery, he should be healed up in 6 weeks and then never have to deal with those pesky earplugs for bathtime again.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Have a great night,
Ty, Emmy, Aidan and Ethan