ALL ABOARD!!!

I ADORE The Polar Express ever since my second grade teacher read it to my class I was head over heals. It's a beautiful story. When I was fresh out of college and living in New York I got to see the movie in 3D Imax, it was a huge deal back then. The snow, the train careening across the ice, it was all breath taking. I worked for Santa at Macy's 34th street that holiday season and they played The Polar Express soundtrack pretty often. I loved that music and it became forever tied to those wonderful weeks working for Santa, in my memory.

Needless to say, when my father-in-law acquired the Polar Express train and invited us over to play with it and watch the movie I was super excited. My kiddos grow up into between each visit to the rails.

2009

It was more for Isaac's benefit back then, but Riley liked the light and movement.

2010

By this year Riley was 18 months old and had the most adorable indignation about the train. She chased it and yelling and gesturing. I think this was the year Grandpa let Isaac drive the train too. So much growing up that year.

2011

We took a year off from the trains for a trip to Ice & Snow! My amazing father-in-law invited us to an amazing adventure with snow, ice sculptures and ice slides! We had a blast. Isn't Roo's tiny (s)no(w)man adorable?

2012

By 2012 it was my turn to grow up or at least that's how it felt. This was the year they brought the polar express to our house. I put out appetizers in my Christmas apron, Mike made the grown ups chicken bryan and the kids wore jammies. It felt so grown up to host my in-laws. This was the first year Riley remembered the previous train night. We enjoyed Polar Express in 3D, talk about warm fuzzy memories! Isaac was a much...more careful engineer too.

2013

This was the year Isaac got his own train! Here's the story of Isaac's train, it's a good one. It was the second year in a row Roo informed me which pajamas she was saving for train night because by now it was an important event in her life. The train was beautiful all set up around our tree. I love the idea of all the happy childhood memories a passed down toy has already been a part of before we start making our own. Can you tell I cry after all the Toy Story movies?

2014

This year we were back at Grandpa's for train night. He remarked how Isaac has matured and is a lot more trustworthy on the train controls. I think Riley will be ready to try her hand by next year. On the flip side Isaac was far to cool to observe the traditional Hot Chocolate song dance break. What can you do? They just keep growing.

Train Night 2013

Train night is a tradition my father-in-law started. We spend an evening in early December playing with trains and watching Polar Express. We used to go to his house because he has the official "Polar Express" train. Last year he brought his train to us since we had a copy of Polar Express 3D. Since last train night, Grandpa took Isaac to a train show and he got his picture in the paper.

This Picture:

A kind gentlemen saw that picture and tracked down my father-in-law because he thought upon seeing the picture, "That little boy needs a train." As it turned out he had a wonderful train and no children to pass it to and he wanted Isaac to have it. Can you imagine? It was one of the most pleasant surprises we've ever had. So, this year we set up Isaac's amazing inherited train around the Christmas tree.

Mike spent weeks cleaning, repairing, testing and setting up. This train set has a working crane that can lift small magnetic objects, a gatehouse with a gatekeeper who emerges when the train goes by, buildings with lighted windows, a milk car that dispenses milk onto the platform with the push of a button and an operating coal station (among other awesomeness)!

As of train night the set up was still a bit of a work in progress, but we had a blast!

More Recent Train Pictures:

Train Night 2012

ALL ABOARD!!

We have a special tradition my father-in-law started, Train Night. Every December (except last year when we went to Ice & Snow instead)he sets up his amazing Polar Express train and we bring the kids over to watch the movie. I'm pretty sure the first year it was just Isaac. By the following year we had a 3month old Riley. This picture is from 2010 when the kids were 8 and 15mo. That was the first year they both interacted/reacted to the festivities.

This year we changed things up a bit. We hosted Train Night at our house since we have a 3D TV and Polar Express on 3D Bluray. Mike made Chicken Bryon for dinner. Grandpa and Ya-ya brought the train and desert. We just set up a circle of track on the living room rug. His train has multiple speeds and can go forward of backwards. It makes steam and has whistle and people talking sounds. It's a pretty fancy toy even when it only goes in a circle.

Isaac was even old enough to man the controls this year! It was very exciting for me both because I LOVE train night and because we don't have our inlaws over very often. They are a lot of fun, but also very busy folks. I had pitta chips and hummus and crackers with fancy cheese waiting when they came in the door. I even put on my apron. It was fun. The kids got to wear pj's since they were at home which is more authentic to the movie anyway. My inlaws were impressed with dinner and even said it was "better than Carrabba's!"

I'm just a huge fan of Christmas in general and Santa specifically. We rang the sleigh bell and I could still hear it. I bet I'll still hear it in 30 more years too. If you get the chance to see Polar Express in 3D I highly recommend it. I saw in IMAX 3D in the theater when I lived in New York and it was spectacular. It was pretty great on the 3D TV too.