Invasion at the North Pole

Every year at Christmas I set up my North Pole village.  Over the years it has gotten quite large and has portions in the living room, dining room, and entryway.  Yes, I realize it has reached the point of being an obsession!

And every year on Christmas Eve an invasion occurs, orchestrated  by my daughters.  Past invasions have included dinosaurs, army men armed with bazookas, giant Barbie dolls, zoo animals, rubber ducks, and even the Occupy movement found my village last year.  Can you pick out this year's invasion in the photo below?  Click on the photo to enlarge it.

You'd be correct if you guessed feral cats.  Below one is ready to devour a gingerbread reindeer.

The cats invaded the ice park, ski slope, and skating rink.

They seemed to particularly enjoy the food court.

They investigated the coal mine and the construction zone.

The elves were a bit concerned, and had to call the big guy for help.

The invaders have never been the same, going back about 20 years.  I think it gets harder every year for my crew to come up with new ideas.  This year's was fun!

Santa's Long Day

The toy deliveries are all done! It's been a long day for Santa. Christmas first comes in Russia, and that's where he began his deliveries. For the next 24 hours he traveled across the globe, stopping at the houses of all the good little boys and girls. He finally drove his sleigh to Alaska, where Christmas comes last. The last delivery was made, and then Santa steered the reindeer back to the North Pole. There was much celebration when Santa and the reindeer landed at the North Pole. Then Santa settled into his hot tub with Mrs. Claus for a little much needed relaxation. A helpful elf brought a pitcher of hot chocolate, and Santa gave a big sigh of relief. Everything went off perfectly once again. The next week will be a time for a little R&R for Santa and Mrs. Claus and all the elves and reindeer at the North Pole. Then it's once again back to work to prepare for next Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all from our house to yours!

The rubber ducks are coming!

Rubber ducks invaded my village this year on Christmas morning. Of course there is always something that invades the village every Christmas morning, but I think this is one of my favorites. I've got photos of the invasion and other photos of this year's village up on my Photoshop page. Use the link at the right.