Kids and Christmas and Backyardigans

Began a lovely, sunny day with a walk down to Doria's Deli to deliver cookies. The snow was melting in the relative warmth, but it wasn't melting very fast. While cleared roads are generally fine in the day, many back roads (including Manor) remain a slushy mess. Sidewalks that haven't been shoveled are pains, too. I dodged ice and followed footprints through still-high snowdrifts as I headed for West Clinton Avenue.

I was hoping the Dorias would be able to open the deli, since they live fairly far away. Thankfully, yes, it was open. I ordered a half a pound of turkey and gave Mr. and Mrs. Doria their cookies to thank them for the help and advice they've given me this year. Mr. Doria said he's been friends with Uncle Ken for 25 years, and he was glad to help a family member.

My next stop was the Oaklyn Library again. I tried going there yesterday, but they were closed. Not this time! The library was open and warm. I dropped my card games in the Toys For Tots box. Like the box in the bank, it was overflowing. In fact, an older woman dropped off huge bags filled with toys minutes after I arrived.

I got about half-way through the kids' books before the group of day care kids and their teacher arrived for their weekly story time. I listened to the teacher read them How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I Spy Christmas (which proved to be very popular - the teacher had a little raffle to decide who would take it out), and a story about what snowmen do on Christmas Eve (alas, I can't recall the title of that last one).

After the stories were done, the kids did a Christmas coloring page while their teacher chatted with the librarian and I organized the DVDs and videos. Unlike the Haddon Township and Collingswood Libraries, the Oaklyn Library still has a fairly large video collection. I found some interesting items to take out. The Disney Sing-Along video Very Merry Christmas Songs was a family favorite for years. It was a tradition to watch it right after coming home from school on the last day before Christmas Break. And though it has nothing to do with the holidays, I really wanted to see the newest Backyardigans DVD, Robot Rampage.

I finished up the DVDs while the kids chose their books. After they finished, they gave the librarians and me a little treat. They all sang "Jingle Bells" and performed the song in Sign Language, the way their teacher had taught them. They did very well and were really adorable.

I headed out when the kids did. Their teacher herded them back towards West Clinton, but I went in the other direction down Newton Avenue. Since it was sunny and not too cold, I went for a nice little walk over the train tracks and across Manor to Kendall Avenue. I thought of going to WaWa, but I didn't really need anything there and had plenty of snacks and warm drinks at home.

Ran Robot Rampage while making Grilled Turkey and Cheese, hot chocolate, and fresh broccoli spears for lunch. The first, full-length story was an unusual sci-fi tale and a rare episode to star Austin. The gentle purple kangaroo is a robot repair man in futuristic Mega City, where robots apparently never break...until the evil Professor (Pablo) sends bugs that look like screws to make all the robots do his bidding! Now the robots that belong to Uniqua, Tyrone, and Tasha have all gone haywire, and it's up to Austin and his robot Roscoe to stop them! The Queen-like late-disco music here was especially fun.

The other two stories were even better. Tyrone, Uniqua, and Pablo spoof Gozilla-style monster movies in Attack of the 50 Foot Wormen. Uniqua and Pablo are scientists at a university who accidentally give a wormen (a worm-like creature) a growth formula. Ever-excitable Pablo finds himself trying to reign in his usual tendency to panic while he creates a counter-formula and Uniqua and Groundskeeper Tyrone try to catch the continually growing critter!

My favorite of the three stories also involved Uniqua and Pablo on a merry chase, in this case, after the runaway train carrying Tsar Tyrone to the Winter Palace. I'm a fan of ragtime, and it accompanied a hilarious story that was not unlike a similar Pablo-Uniqua-Tyrone tale from an earlier season, Catch That Butterfly!.

Spent the rest of the afternoon finishing my Christmas baking and watching holiday movies. I made Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Muffins. I'll make a Pumpkin Mousse Pie tomorrow, but that doesn't require baking. I watched Christmas In Connecticut while I baked and the 1951 A Christmas Carol during dinner.

Connecticut is a charming 1945 comedy about a New York career girl (Barbara Stanwyk) who writes a very popular Martha Stewart-like magazine column about her husband and baby and their farm in Connecticut and her elaborate recipes. Trouble is, she's not really married, wouldn't know how to mother a plant, has never been on a farm in her life, and can't boil water. She gets all her wonderful recipes and tips from her uncle who runs a restaurant. Her Christmas is turned upside-down when her boss not only invites a family-less solider to her non-existent farm for the holidays, but invites himself as well!

Like Holiday Inn, this is a fun piece of Christmas fluff that still has bite today. Sure, most Elizabeth Lanes are now encouraged to be in the kitchen and behind the typewriter...but people still expect Martha Stewart perfection in their holidays and their media figures. People still hope for those Christmas In Connecticuts, even when their lives are far from bucolic.