A Jacksonville Christmas

With Sunday set aside for "Christmas around the house" day, Monday went the other way. The morning started by taking Courtney's son Sean to school, and then on to breakfast. A neat little place I don't remember the name of and could never hope to find again. After that Courtney had an appointment. Then there was a stop made for Krystals. Oh yes, you know there would be Krystals.These aren't the Krystals I got with Courtney. These are the 2 Krystal and 2 Chiks I got on Sunday in Pooler, GA on the way to Courtney's. I got 4 cheese add ketchup with Courtney and since it was about 11am, they were fresh, hot and delicious. Monday was the last day to see Santa at the mall and Courtney always take Sean. So we returned home briefly to retrieve cameras, and Santa hats, then returned to pick up Sean and go to the mall. Yes, less than a week to go til Christmas and we attempted to go see Santa at the mall. The problem with the annual Santa trips is that Sean is not fond of Santa. Sean is Claus-traphobic. Courtney's been working with him since Thanksgiving and they struck a deal. She'd sit on Santa's lap first to show Sean it was OK and then Sean would go. I didn't get any pictures of Courtney in Santa's lap but I distinctly heard her ask for a new washer and dryer. (Kinda makes my monkey bathroom coordinates gifts look a bit sad, eh?)After our Santa trip, there was dinner. Somewhere in there ornaments went up on the tree and suddenly it was getting close to Sean's bed time. That means, of course, bath, then stories, and the newest addition to the bedtime routine, Viewmaster! Who knew they still made Viewmasters? And were the stories really that pitiful when I was a kid? Sheesh, no plot, no set up, barely any resolution. I realise with only 4 reels of 7 frames, you can't put together the Lord of the Rings, but geeze. Thankfully I got to read one of my favorites to Sean.He requested I skip the part where the Seagull drops the bucket of orange paint on Mr. Plumbean's house (and no one knows why.) After reading The Big Orange Splot,I took a play from ol Santa's book and asked if it was Courtney's turn to sit on my lap and read stories and do viewmaster. Courtney ran away.What's Santa got that I don't? Other than access to a new washer and dryer. Actually the main purpose for that last picture was for you to notice that Courtney does, in fact, have monkeys around her house. So no one will think I am crazy for giving her so many monkeys. After monkeys and presents and Santa and the mall, my very short time in Jacksonville had run out. So taking one last page out of Santa's playbook, I packed up my sleigh for my next stop. And they heard me exclaim as I rode out of sight:Monkeys 'n Krystals to all, and to all a good night!