2019

 

It’s funny, every year starts out the same, Christmas is over and the decorations are now being put away for another year, including this train!

About mid year I start thinking of some of the things we've done that have earned a spot on next Christmas' train car. For some reason not much comes to mind but as i get closer to October and I start designing for this year's addition I am now recalling all the cool things we did and say to myself HOW AM I GOING TO FIT IT ALL ON THIS YEAR’S CAR?! This year was one of those years!

This year I chose the theme of Santa’s Toy Sack (the initials SC are on the back of the bag).

I filled it with our memorable moments such as

-there are 4 wooden planks standing up in the back of the sack that signifies the brand new sundeck and Gazebo we had put in to replace the old rotten one that came with the house when we bought it.

-a trophy cup with the name “RAPTORS" on it signifies Oliver's baseball team that not only won every regular season game but also won every playoff game to win the championship! He retired after that game. Nothing like going out on top!

-a clipboard with Baseball duties was due to Mona stepping up and managing Charlie’s baseball team.

She was a great team MOMager! Didn't like Teamsnap but persevered.

-a FORTNITE logo represents the video game that took the free will of my two little boys and has had some sort of demonic hold on them. Charlie more than Ollie!

-The I.A.T.S.E. logo represents the term of full-time Stay At home Dad that has come to an end. Dan went back to the job he loves working as a sculptor in the film industry.

-the crown near the back of the sack is for Charlie’s first concert ever that Mona and Dan took him to for his 10th birthday. We saw the rock and roll legends QUEEN with Adam Lambert as front man replacing the late Freddie Mercury. It was an awesome show! He knew almost all the words and I caught him rocking out a bit, but he’ll never admit to it.

-the basketball is Charlie starting a new sport and playing on his new basketball team, coincidentally called "The Raptors". Let’s hope they have as much luck as the Toronto Raptors who brought Canada home their first NBA title this year.

-the little rabbit on the basketball is Oliver’s sidekick Bun Bun. Where would this household be without Bun Bun? Oliver has made that little rabbit clothes, costumes, furniture, a home, an RV and repurposed every empty cardboard box that was destined for the blue bin. That rabbit struck gold when Ollie pulled him out of the Easter decorations.

-there is a ball of yarn, a crochet needle and a super long scarf like project that was the new hobby Mona picked up this year while being home from her less than satisfying job. I have loved the time Mona has been able to spend at home with the freedom to relax, see more of the kids, take part in school things and binge watch Hallmark movies. If there is anyone on this planet that needed a break from her stressful and thankless job it’s my beautiful wife.

-There are two elves on the front of the car. One elf is posing down as a Hip Hop elf that represents Oliver’s new direction in life and that is to start taking Hip Hop dance lessons. Baseball to dancing was an obvious choice for Oliver. He is a singing, dancing, acting, imagination machine and he’ll be a natural. The other elf sitting on the front is mimicking the Macaulay Culkin Christmas classic "Home Alone" because this year was the first time Charlie was able to stay home by himself (for very short periods, but alone is alone) He was so glued to his Fortnite though I don’t even know if he knew he was Home Alone!