Goodbye 2013, hello 2014

My train tracks and I both grew a lot longer this year, two things that made this a pretty happy year in the end. Here's hoping 2014 has even better stuff in store!

Christmas, part 2!

When we got to Grandmom Shane's house a few days after Christmas, it was still Christmas!!! How cool is that?

Tommy and I had lots of fun playing with our gifts, but Pop-Pop may have gotten the best toy of all. 

He promised to buy me a bigger set of drums when I get older, but then Mom and Dad said we had to go home right away. I still don't understand why. 

Christmas!!!

There were trains everywhere!!!!

Santa Claus came by and set up a train under Pop's Christmas tree, and he ate the cookies we left out, and he left presents behind for everyone! Then Grandmom Linda read me stories all day and Pop and I watched Christmas shows and we ate and ate and ate and .. . I'm exhausted. 

I asked Dad if we could do Christmas again tomorrow, but he said no. Seems like a great idea to me ...

53 Legos tall

That's my height now, for all of you planning to build life-sized Lego replicas of me. In the meantime, I'm just trying to touch the ceiling with this tower. 

Christmas eve-ish dinner

Mom's whole side of the family got together for our early Christmas Eve dinner this weekend. The food was great, but after eating seven fishes (are shrimp and crabs fish) all of us kids were exhausted. Luckily, Lily and Maggie knew how to turn on the Mr. Magoo Christmas movie so we could relax while all the parents ran around playing. 

Decorating the tree

I'm not sure how Dad expected me to get this to the top of this tree without a trampoline. 

Christmas cookies

Man, getting these sprinkles arranges just right is hard work. I'm gonna need a smaller set of tweezers. 

Indoor camping

Grandmom taught me that tents aren't just for playing outside. 

Snow Day!

 

There was snow again outside today, and this time we got to play in it!

 

Dad made a snowman, and we left footprints all over, and we threw snowballs and ohmigawd it was just like my "Snowy Day" book!

Mom and I even went up the street to find some friends to play with, since the schools were closed. 

Too much fun!

Lunch with Santa

Tommy and I visited Aunt Betty on Saturday, and it turns out the sisters in her convent are friends with Santa Claus!

The two of us and some other kids got to hang out with him for a little while and listen while he read a story. It was "The Night Before Christmas," so Santa was reading a story about himself. I would have picked something about Thomas, but it mostly worked. Good times. Hope I see him again soon.

Spinning beetles

It's the new hot sport.

Explaining trains to Ollie

No, it's not a "choo-choo." It's a 1987 Santa Fe Diesel engine. You've got to start doing your research better, Ollie. 

Thanksgiving leftovers

I was not the only one eating all of this. OK, maybe most of it. 

Giant in the city

Who needs Sodor when we can build an even better island? My train tracks have a nearby forest and some castles and a tiger and ... what else do we have laying around here?

When did it get so cold out here?

It seems like it was 60 degrees just a few days ago. Hobbes is gonna need a hat. 

Remedial flying lessons

What goes up must come down ...

The thrill of victory

I'm loving this Eagles season, but these close games are just too much for me to handle.

Feeding a tiger

Some prime rib or filet mignon is best, but Golden Grahams work in a pinch. 

Haircut time again

Huh. I forgot I had ears under there.

I've been singing about the railroad

I'll teach you the words next time you come over. 

But I'm not tired

I don't nap why you understand I need a think. 

Around the bend

I dunno ... I think maybe we need a few more tracks. 

Stomach situation

Not even the coolest pajamas can consistently contain this belly. It's a problem. 

Happy birthday, Ollie

Ollie turned two on Friday, so he had a birthday party today to celebrate. He also got a chance to show me how to play foosball. 

Later, we tried out some of his new birthday presents. Ollie is really into trains too, but he still has a lot to learn about proper engineering techniques on the wooden rails. Don't worry, I'm teaching him. 

Happy Halloween

I'm not sure if this costume fully capture's Thomas' rambunctious spirit. On the other hand, my knees are buffers!

UPDATE: Another costume photo! And a trick-or-treating video!

Scaling new heights

10-foot-tall slide? Don't you have anything higher?

Engineering 101

Don't worry, I finally figured out the best way to stack them. 

Chutes and Ladders

This game makes no sense at all. I walk up the slide at school all the time. And the ones in this game don't even look that steep. 

Latest acrobatics

For the record, Dad had to help me grab onto the bar, but I did dead hang there for 90 minutes. Or 90 seconds. Which one is longer again?

School portrait time again

Mom thinks I look about seven years old in this picture. I think I coulda smiled a little bigger if I tried harder. Maybe next time. 

Pumpkin picking

Mom and Dad took me to a local farm for pumpkin picking yesterday. Good thing too, because our household pumpkins supply was running pretty low.

The farm has a little pumpkin house that looked pretty cute. But it didn't have a TV and the pumpkin bed smelled kinda funny. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't stay over here.

The corn maze was a little muddy, but I had a good time running through anyways. Dad said we were supposed to stay on the path, but it was a lot easier to get done by wandering through the stalks.

So many sunflowers...

And I found the perfect pumpkin to take home. Sure, it's the same size as me, but I'm thinking I can carve it into a little house for the backyard. Maybe we'll put a cleaner bed in there.

The grass is always greener ...

... at Grandmom's house. 

Medical emergency

Mom had a problem with a cut on her hand, but it's nothing that one of my Thomas band-aids can't handle.

Reading a book to Tommy

Since Aunt Beth was busy taking care of new baby Shane this weekend, I took a turn babysitting Tommy for a little bit. I think he appreciated how much I helped.

Hello, Shane!

I got a chance to visit Aunt Beth and my new cousin Shane this weekend! He seemed pretty cool, but he slept a lot, and Tommy and I had a lot of toys to play with. But I'm sure he'll be as much fun as Tommy soon. 

We didn't really have time to pose with him for a picture, because Tommy and I had a lot of books to read, but here's a nice shot that Dad got of the little guy. 

Nighttime picnic

We've got our blanket, juice and pretend cookies. And no ants!

Team pride

OK, the Eagles didn't do very well yesterday. But Dad said maybe if we root a little harder next week (and get rid of Vick and find a defense somewhere) maybe they'll do better next time. Either way, my jersey looks great. 

Last bit of summer

There's just enough warm left to take one more trip up to the playground. 

Falling for you

Dad's note: Video per Jonathan's request

Meeting a dinosaur

The national book fair was back in DC this weekend, and this year they invited Buddy the T Rex to help out with the program. Dinosaur Train is one of my favorite shows, so I was totally excited to meet him ... until I realized they didn't have any meat for his lunch. Then I got a little worried. 

He seemed pretty friendly, though. I'm glad I was at the front of the line, and already out of there when I heard his stomach grumbling. 

Moving trains

Keeping the trains on time is such hard work, I can barely keep my head up:

Dad's note: This what we do now, every day, when we come home from school. Every single day. 

Teaching Tommy

OK, so the first step is learning how to push the cart. The second step is learning how to grab the candy off the grocery store shelf before Mom notices. 

Happy birthday, Pop Doyle

Grandmom Linda had a party today to celebrate Pop Doyle's birthday. It was a lot of fun, but I don't know why she invited so many people. Clearly, all he wanted to do was play with Ollie and me. 

A quick workout

After a long day, there's nothing like getting a little exercise in.

Football friends

Don't worry, little Eagle -- I'll be your friend no matter how many times Mike Vick fumbles. 

Sleepy Saturdays

Dad understands what the weekends are for. 

Will you look at the time?

I'm pretty sure it's time to get a smaller watchband, for starters.