The Richardson Train Man is #1

Oh, it's been a busy day but why stop at lunch with friends, a party at P&L and a steak dinner?!?! The day would not be complete without a train ride! I was reminded about the Richardson Train Man (RTM) this afternoon so as a surprise to Parker, after dinner we went to check it out.

So, let me set the scene for you.....to get to the RTM, you drive through a residential neighborhood and happen upon a Christmas-Vacation-style-house, Chevy Chase-style, with cars lining the street on both sides and in the midst of this regular size, residential (did I mention that??!!??) backyard, is a motorized train.

And behold, the best thing for a train-loving toddler to discover:

And his train-loving Daddy:

Which was engineered, built and operated by the RTM:

It was a neat experience and the best part, it was FREE! Of course we donated to the 2012 project but this simple train scape made my train-loving-boys VERY happy tonight!!!

This link will show you what it looks like during the day: http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Richardson-man-provides-free-holiday-train-rides-for-kids--111820084.html

Richardson Trainman: http://holidayexpressridingtrain.wordpress.com/

P&L Christmas Party

The P&L Christmas party was today....with a twist. I usually meet the girls for lunch, a champagne toast (again for me, Apple Cider) and the exchanging of presents. Since we were out of town during the last work week for the P&L staff, we scheduled a post-Christmas party that included the husbands and kids!

The kids toasted with Ginger Ale, exchanged kiddie presents and then the rest of the afternoon consisted of this:

From Our Family to Yours...

Santa & Me

Today was the last time that Parker had to sit on Santa's lap before Christmas so Bryan got him up before the sun came up so they could stand it line to see Santa. We have seen, talked and waved at Santa but wanted nothing to do with sitting in his lap. Last night Parker "promised" that he would sit on Santa's lap (and if he didn't, it would still be ok). By the time that Bryan got Parker to Stonebriar there were already a few people in line but it wasn't that bad. Parker did fulfill his promise by sitting on Santa's lap and told him that he wanted a "big kitchen".

Afterwards, Bryan gave Parker a special treat....at 9:30am....yes, AM!!!
Santa gave Parker a free pass to ride the Merry-Go-Round but Parker has never been a fan. However, on this day, he wanted to give it a try. By the time they got home, either the sugar was kicking in or he was truly excited because he had a lot to say :)

{{{MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, EVERYONE}}}

The Christmas Trees of Angleton

While in Angleton to celebrate Christmas, I took some pictures of the BEAUTIFUL Christmas trees that our families put up this year!

Jimmie & Helen's:
The Campos Family:

My Mom's:Don't you love them??? All three of them made me smile :)

Ryan Turns TEN & Parker BOWLS

Ryan turned 10 today! And we are home to join in the birthday festivities...YAY!!! We were invited to join the birthday boy and his entourage at Main Event for bowling and laser tag. This also marks Parker's first bowling experience. It.was.fun.
The birthday boy:

Parker's first hand at bowling:

And his cousins, who love Parker to pieces, give him high-fives for doing a good job:

I cannot believe that Ryan is 10. When I met Bryan's family, Ryan was a year old and still in a high chair. In the past nine years, he has turned into a game-loving, technology-driven, handsome, cool dude. It's been so fun to watch him grow-up and I can't wait to see what another 10 years brings his way!

Christmas with the Girls

Michelle & Rachel were two (out of four) of my best friends while in middle and high school. They know me inside and out and so it is ALWAYS nice to get together with them. It's nice to be myself, be honest about things and not have to worry about offending them and I never have to worry where we stand....we are always standing together! I LOVE THAT!!!

Tonight we decided to meet at The Grape Taste to have dinner and exchange Christmas gifts. And we also....{my favorite part}....had some girl talk. We discussed a wide variety of different topics, from Michelle telling us about her teenage-kids shenanigans to Rachel asking us to be her surrogate since she can't have kids. Yep, it was just that good! I loved every minute of it and can't wait for our annual girls weekend this summer :)

P.S. - the tapas-style menu was fun and the food was delicious!!!