the santa tree

Ho, ho, ho...Merry Christmas! This little Santa tree is placed close to the front door where it greets anyone who comes through that entrance. Quite a few years ago when decorating the big Christmas tree, I noticed that there were a lot of Santa ornaments amongst the other tree baubles. Why not have them all hang out together?

This guy is the STAR of the tree. Back in my teaching days, Wendy, the creative App Tech teacher, was the head of the "Morale Committee," where Super Teachers Are Recognized. One year before our holiday break, she hung this Santa ornament on each classroom door. I always think of Wendy when placing Santa star on the tree. Her classroom was a couple doors down from my room and we had so many wonderful conversations. Lots of good memories from those hallway chats.

The trains underneath the tree are a nod to my Dad. He loved trains and as a young boy started collecting Lionel trains. He carried this hobby through his adult life. He discovered a Lionel store in Cincinnati, made friends with the owner who called Dad whenever he found something he thought Dad might want to add to his collection. Every Christmas Dad lovingly set up his trains around the Christmas tree. He put the smoke pellets in the engine and blew the whistle, would dump the cargo when it passed over a switch and would switch the trains to go right or left. It was such a treat to see Dad act like a little kid. My brothers now have the trains and occasionally will  set them up. When my grandchildren get bigger, I would like to borrow the trains to set up around my Christmas tree so they can experience the magic of their great-grandpa's toy trains.