Christmas Train Set Up 2010 {A How To Guide}

There are few things as exciting as setting up the Christmas train in our house.  It is the kind of excitement and joy that is so overwhelming that it most often involves some tears ('cause Christmas trains don't go up quickly, my friends).  But by the end of the painfully slow process all the little engineers are happy, oh so happy.

Step 1: Watch Daddy pull boxes and boxes of Christmas fun out of the attic.
{Warning: this step takes longer than a 4 year old expects it to.}






Step 2: Set up the Christmas tree, because the train must have something to run around.
{Warning: This step will take MUCH longer than a 4 year old expects it to.}

(discover/remember that the section of lights in the middle of the tree does not work, make mental note to look for a new tree in the after Christmas sales).

Step 3: Vacuum up artificial tree needles that fell off the tree in the process (really make plans to look for a new tree, this one is looking rather thin). This is made much more fun by Daddy pretending to vacuum up the kids.




Step 4: Remove the engine and the cars from the box.  So very exciting, but still frustrating to wait on the track to be ready.




Step 5: Set up the track.
{Warning: this step takes longer than a 4 year old expects it to.}


Step 6: Place the engine and the cars on the track, and surprise, surprise they can do this all by themselves.  How are they old enough for that?




Step 7: Take turns being the engineer and watching the magical little train go round and round the track.
{Warning: This step is much shorter than the 4 year old expects it to be.  He would prefer to not eat, sleep or potty for the next month and a half.}








Thrilling video of the train going round and round.



Same joy, 2 years ago.

And 3 years ago.