Choo-Choo Off

Some fun pictures from when we arrived home after our big Christmas trip at the beginning of this month. We got back to the house around 6pm and it was only around 55 degrees inside, so we immediately went about the business of being WARM. We cranked up the heater, turned on the gas fireplace, and changed into cozy sweats and jammies. While we huddled in a blanket in front of the fireplace where we couldn't see our breath, Alton opened the rest of his presents from Mommy and Daddy, which had been waiting for him at home until we got back.



Besides a few new bath toys and a small set of rubberized plastic tools, we gave Alton more accessories for his train table, including some new cargo cars, a small magnetic crane on a "loading dock," and a little battery-operated engine that makes whistling noises AND actually propels itself forward on the track! Andy immediately busted out a tiny screwdriver to open up the engine and insert the batteries, and the little locomotive was off and running.




It has three buttons on the top for forward, stop, and reverse. Alton really enjoys knowing how to operate the little engine, and proudly presses the "stop" button when he's done playing, saying, "Choo-choo off."


Minerva, glad to see her large bed again, inexplicably dragged it into the cold front room and away from the warm fireplace. Curled up tightly and still shivering, she has just enough energy to shoot you a baleful glance of sorrow, as is her way.