Christmas with Brio

 We put up the Christmas tree this weekend. Yesterday, Wolfie decided that he needed to build the Christmas village at its foot, which means adding Brio's tracks, trains and other Xmas accessories from the previous Advent calendars we bought our son in the past years. Sadly, he didn't want any this year, he just wanted one with chocolates in it. Then I saw that they made a limited edition this year, which looks gorgeous, and full of new accessories. I could have cried. My son does not know what he's missing sometimes. Because yes, I am totally not self-interested and absolutely not thinking about having it for myself.

Brio's Haunted Train Station

I blogged before about Brio's  a Spooky Train Station. Well, I bought it for Wolfie's last birthday. My wife said I really bought it for myself, but it's not true. I mean not really: I truly, genuinely thought Wolfie would love it. And he does. He has his first Brio toy about five years ago, but he hasn't stopped playing with them since, although he plays less often.

All the same: he loved the Spooky Train Station, even though we don't, I mean he doesn't have the train that goes with it and has it doing spooky noises. My mistake, I should have thought about it. It's still fun and he made a display in the living room. I particularly like the ghost conductor. I thought he was a zombie at first, but he really looks like a ghost and a Gothic one at that. But a friendly ghost, most definitely. I love the mix of old fashioned horror and railway, as it is a staple of modernity and technology meeting the supernatural. Trains and train sations make for great settings for horror stories. Anyway, Wolfie wants to play with his set, however he said that once Halloween is over, this is it: the train station and its ghost will not show up until the next countdown to Halloween.

Brio Steam Train

 I blogged about a week ago about Wolfie getting the coolest present for Christmas. Wlel, I might have been wrong. Because I also received a Brio train as a gift. And not just any Brio train: the BRIO World Battery-Operated Steamed Train. Their flagship, or flag train if you will. I haven't played with it yet as it needs AAA batteries. I bought some last weekend, but haven't come round to putting them. I might do it this evening with Wolfie when he's back from school. Truly, this is a present for both boys in the house, the young one and the grownup one.

Brio Snow Plow Train

 Sometimes, my wife buys presents to Wolfie and she makes two men happy instead of just one, because I enjoy it just as much. This was the case when Wolfie got the Brio World Snow Plow Train among his gifts. Coming with its own set of snow and snowbound track. Now I love trains and Brio sets have been a great way to bond with my son over the years. But this may be his coolest train yet, one that is a snow plow as well. I think I like it even more than he does.

A Brio's Christmas Tree

I blogged yesterday about the he Brio Advent Calendar, which Wolfie used to have every year until this one, because sadly he is just happy with chocolates. I have been missing the Brio calendar. But at least we have the items from the previous years. I have been rummaging through the Brio box and I think I found them all. Wolfie and I put them on display underneath the Christmas tree. And talking of Christmas trees, Brio has its own, specially made for their calendar I believe. This Christmas tree here for instance, with a snowy top. It's simple yet so perfect. Next year, if he doesn't want a Brio Advent Calendar, I will buy one for myself.

A Brio's Christmas

Usually when Christmas is coming, we buy Wolfie the Brio Advent Calendar. He loves it and it becomes an essential part of Christmas city. Well, this year, to my chagrin, our son only wanted a banal, "boring" chocolate Advent calendar. Not that we have nothing Christmas related Brio things. I only have to go through the Brio box to find them. It is like finding a needle in a haystack, but we get through. But it is worth the trouble: I mean just look at that festive locomotive. And that's just one thing. Brio has become as much a part of my Christmas as Wolfie's. Sometimes I think maybe I should ask for a Brio Advent Calendar.

A wreath in a Brio box

This weekend, Wolfie and I started building what he calls "Christmas City", basically use a lot of toys, among them a lot of Brio train set, to make a town around the Christmas tree. He got this idea from his Christmastime with grand-papa and grand-maman, as we have a proper Christmas village at home at the foot of the tree. But Wolfie has huge ambitions, so he build a city. So anyway, he told me: "Daddy, daddy, we need the Brio Christmas wreaths for Christmas City. They are in the Brio box." (This is a new Wolfism, by the way). Problem is, this is the Brio box we have. So I was looking for a needle in a haystack.

Be that as it may, I did not get discouraged. Because I also wanted the wreaths. We have two, one green, one white, which Wolfie got from his Brio Advent calendars. As this year he did not want a Brio calendar, we had to find the wreaths of old, not being able to just wait for new ones to show up. Anyway, of course this is a daddy's job (anything games or toys related in this household is pretty much a daddy's job). But in the end, after methodically emptying the content of said box, I found both wreaths. I'm quite proud of myself. So this is how I spent my Saturday morning, but at least Christmas City has its wreaths.

Brio's Spooky Train Station

For today's countdown to Halloween post, a toy I wish I had bought me... errr, I mean, for Wolfie. Anyway, you know our son loves train sets, especially Brio designs. My wife found a few weeks ago that they sold a Spooky Train Station, with a zombie action figure (they say ghostly conductor, but I think he looks like a zombie, albeit a more gothic one), ghostly sounds and all. We didn't buy it, for some reason, but I have been kicking myself since then. It could become a new Halloween tradition for next year. I keep thinking trains and train stations are pefect settings for horror stories. We could create our own spooky stories, we'd have our inspiration and prop.

This year's Brio Advent Calendar

My wife and I did something very bad this year: we bought Wolfie a second Advent calendar: he already had one ready, then at the last minute we saw a really good offer for the Brio Advent Calendar and I said what the heck, it has train stuff and we never have enough of that, it won't increase his sugar intake, it looks gorgeous, the calendar itself will make a great addition to Christmas City, so, well, we bought it. And no, it's not so I can play Brio with him. That is just a happy coincidence.

Minnie Mouse and Brio train

It was the birthday of my wife recently, which is always a bit of a challenge for me. Because it is fairly difficult to find presents for my wife. But I got pretty inspired for one of them. As anyone with young children knows, the birthday of a parent is truly all about their kids. So I found out that Brio was selling a Minnie Mouse figure with a pink steam engine. I bought it so she could play with Wolfie and his rather impressive Brio train set. I'm quite proud of my discovery. My wife loves pink and everything Disney. And she will feel less out of her depth when Wolfie spends ages showing her his elaborate railroads.

Brio et Gousto

 Ma femme depuis presqu'un an cuisine des recettes de Gousto.On reçoit une boite par semaine. Les boîtes sont solides et elles sont durables. Au début, on les envoyait au recyclage, mais nous leur avons trouvé une nouvelle vocation: celle de boîte à jouets, surtout pour les jouets Brio (surtout les trains et les rails) de petit loup. Le salon en est presque moins en désordre.

Brio Advent Calendar

So today is the first day of Advent (and yes, I know, it was on Sunday officially, but any practical means it starts December. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in this household and we are all looking forward to it. Wolfie is getting very excited. His mother has decided to get him a special kind of Advent calendar: not the one with chocolates, but the Brio Advent Calendar, with toys and games from the Brio railway system. Brio is at the moment Wolfie's favourite brand ever and he plays with his Brio trains and tracks all the time, so this should be a winner. I just hope he will not want to share my chocolate Advent calendar. One can dream.