Come Back Santa!

Christmas is hard work, but I am really good at it! First we started by going all the way to Joliet, Illinois to visit my Great Grandma and Grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins there. It is really cold up there, I can't imagine how Santa feels at the North Pole! He must have some nice mittens.Here I am holding a snowball without ANY mittens. Ouch. Who's idea was that? Oh, mine. . . you're right. Good idea Thomas! Daddy taught me how to throw snowballs at Mama. It is pretty fun. I always ask permission first though. The key is to use a really sweet voice and say it so cute that she has to agree! "Mama, can I please throw a snowball at you? That's a good idea! Can I Mama?"

I also had fun wrestling with my cousin,

opening gifts,

waiting for more gifts,

and doing my share to help with the over-abundance of cookies.


Next we had Christmas Eve first at my Grandma Imboden's house where I hung my stockingAnd next at my Papa and Grandma Long's house where I received my most eagerly-awaited gift.My remote control monster truck!! I've been talking about this since I spotted one in the Radioshack window months ago.

I also got a dump truck that is supposed to come when I call him. But he listens about as well as I do.


We went home and Mom and Dad hurried me off to bed, but not before I left some cookies for Santa. We didn't have time to bake any fresh ones, so we left Thin Mints instead.

I must have been anxiously sleepwalking because when I woke up I was lying on the floor, blanket and all with my head resting on the hardwood floors.

Daddy reminded me that Santa had come so we rushed out to the living room to have a look.

I got a nice big tractor with lights and sounds and a wagon to hook onto the back with a working dump bucket. It came with farm animals riding in the back. This was the other item on my Christmas list ever since I met Santa at the mall. He suggested that I might like a tractor with a wagon for my animals and I agreed.

There was also a BIG racetrack with remote control cars. It looked pretty neat but the cars were kind of slow. Not pictured (and not as exciting) were some books and a new bedding set with trucks on it.


Next we went back to Grandma's house to see what Santa had brought for me there. We also got to open gifts from my Aunts and Uncles.

Santa brought me a big colorful tent with a tunnel extending out from it.
Here is Daddy trying it out. Silly Daddy!

My crafty Aunt Claire made me a superhero cape complete with the letter "T" on the back. If you flip it over and put it around your waist it also doubles as a "princess" skirt. Daddy said I shouldn't use it like that anymore though.

Uncle Steve got me a tractor with a loader.


After finishing at Grandma's house we left for St. Louis to go see more aunts, uncles, cousins and Papa Boden.I got lots of neat presents at my Aunt Marcia's house.

I played with my cousin Baby Ryan and showed him how to use his new toys. I am a pretty experienced ring stacker.
Papa got me a new Nerf gun. With Daddy's help I am a sharp shooter.

I got a new tool set and super cool helicopter.

But let's not forget the best present of all...

ME!!!

That night in the car we saw what my Mama called an airplane. Boy is she silly! I corrected her by telling her that it was actually Santa in the sky. "Oh?" she said. "Where is he going?" I asked. "Back to the North Pole." She told me. "No he's not! He's going to my house to bring more presents!" I exclaimed. Wishful thinking I guess because there were no extra presents when I got home. But at least I got to see Santa's sleigh before Christmas was over.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!