Stitching with Elli

“What are you doing, Susan” Maryellen asked.

“Ruthie and I are putting up the Christmas village. Do you want to help?” replied Susan.

“Yes, please do help!” called Ruthie. “You can help us decide where to put what buildings.”

“Sounds like fun! What should I do? What is that piece of glass for?” Maryellen asked.

” The glass is for the river. It looks pretty. You just have to be careful of the sharp edges. Lets see….hmm..You can come put up the observatory. I think it should go at the far end on the “hill”. What do you think?” Ruthie replied.

Maryellen thought that was an excellent idea. She got the observatory out of the box….but then she got distracted….

“Look at the little owl!! He is so cute!!”

Then she started getting further distracted by the details. “Ruthie, What is a comet? Can I view one too?” She called over her shoulder to Ruthie who was putting up a gazebo.

“I think it is like a star with a tail.” Ruthie said “I’m not exactly sure though…Maybe you can ask Emily later.”

“What kind of a tail? Is it a long tail? short tail? skinny tail? fat tail?

Susan interrupted Maryellen’s steady stream of questions by yelling “Ruthiiiiiee! What am I supposed to do with all these wires and lamp posts??”

“They are so tangled. I don’t know what to do with them!” She fussed.

“Just leave them until last. We won’t know where the light posts should go until we get the buildings up.” Ruthie replied.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Your location has been taken by right of eminent domain. The Museum of Natural History needs to go right where you are sitting!”Maryellen told Susan.

Susan was very glad to leave the electronics alone and move houses around instead. She helped Maryellen move the museum in place. She did want to know how much money she would be getting for compensation for her spot…I mean, if Maryellen was taking it for eminent domain, then she should get something for it! Maryellen said she could have a cookie when they finished.

Together they lifted the museum into place.

“Look at us! We are so strong we can lift a whole museum with artifacts inside!” joked Susan.

Maryellen thought that was very funny and said it wasn’t often that dolls got to be giants.

All the houses were in place….It was time to work on the lights.

Maryellen was having trouble poking the lights in the back, but she managed.

Susan had climbed down the back to see where all those cords were going.

“Ruthie!! What are we supposed to do with all these cords???? There are so many of them!” she called.

“Don’t worry. I have a solution,” Ruthie told her.

“What is it?” Susan said dubiously…She really couldn’t think of anything that would be the solution for that many cords.

“Here! Look! This is the solution!” Ruthie said triumphantly.

“What!” Susan howled “How can more cords possibly be a solution!?!?”

“Oh Susan, darling! Look what I found…more cords!!!” teased Maryellen from the village area.

“Uggg” moaned Susan.

Ruthie calmed her down and explained that there was a power strip to plug cords into…and then transformers for the little lights on the trees and light posts . It really wasn’t as bad as it looked.

“I’ll come help with the lights if Ruthie figures out where to put this tree!” called Maryellen. “I can’t find anywhere to put it that doesn’t look awkward.”

So , Ruthie put the finishing touches on the village while Maryellen and Susan worked away on the cords and lights.

“We are ready to turn it on!” called the light team from below. “Let’s turn out the room light for the best effect.”

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

“Contact!”

“Oops! We have some trees down!” Ruthie said as she reached to set them up again.

“Well, other than the trees falling over… I think the village looks lovely with the lights on!” said Maryellen triumphantly.

It did certainly look very pretty and cheery with the little lights shining out the windows of  almost all the buildings.

Since they seemed to enjoy putting it up so much, maybe I’ll let them put it up every year 😉

Do any of you put up a Christmas village?