'Twas The Night Before Christmas~~~

~ ~ ~ and all through the house {which is really a stone cottage} ~ ~ ~ creatures were stirring, rather small bears and other animals, and continued to stir all night long in the hopes that Father Christmas soon would be there!  The lady who shares her cottage with Treasure Bear and Other Animals was fast asleep in her warm and comfy feather bed, while dreams of sugar plums danced in her head ~~~ Treasure, however, was not able to sleep because it was Christmas Eve and he knew this was the night, the one night of the year, that he might, just might, see his old friend Father Christmas~~~if only he could stay awake long enough to listen out for the sounds of reindeer hooves upon the roof and sleigh bells ringing through the night~~~if only! If only ~~~ if only ~~~

The next thing Treasure Bear knew, he was waking up and it was Christmas Morning.  He had fallen asleep and missed seeing Father Christmas.  He was disappointed, but then, he saw that Father Christmas had visited and there were lots of presents under the tree!

Treasure Bear, and all the Hideaway Bears and Other Animals were very, very excited.  They have been waiting all year long for today, December 25th, which is Christmas Day. 

Treasure could not believe his big brown eyes when he saw a rather large, flat, wrapped present with a tag that read "To Treasure From Santa xoxo" ~~~

In fact, he was so beside himself that he fell over backwards in a faint!!! Poor Treasure, he does get rather excited, and a present from his very dear friend Santa was a bit much for him ~~

Very carefully, once he was feeling more himself, Treasure slowly began to tear open the corner of the parcel ~~~

The first thing he saw was the word "Bear" so he tore a little bit more ~~~

~~~ and he saw some pictures.  He thought he recognised Old Bear, Little Bear, and Duck.  Maybe he saw something that looked a bit like Rabbit too ~~~ so he carefully pulled back the rest of the paper ~~~

 ~~~ and there was Bramwell Brown, second in command to Old Bear!!! It was a BOOK!!! Not just any book, but a book of Treasure Bear's very most favourite characters ~~~ "Old Bear and Friends"  Treasure was very, very happy and sent a Huge Thank You to Father Christmas, for Treasure thinks he is still on his way around the world with such lovely presents for all the good little girls, boys, and bears! Treasure is looking forward to sitting on the lady's knee while she reads his new book to him and the other animals very, very soon.

Suddenly, Treasure realised there was another parcel with his name on it!!! Oh, he was beside himself now, good and proper ~~~

He got closer to the label and he could see ~~~

It is from his bestest friend in the Whole Wide World Ever ~~~ Tiny Tartan ~~~ who lives in America ~~~ Tiny had sent him a special present all the way from America!!!

Here is a picture of Tiny sitting by the ocean where he lives in America ~~~ don't you just love his hat!  See, he is waving to Treasure ~~~ They are the very bestest of buddies, let me tell you now.

Treasre undid one end of the parcel, pulling off the sellotape very carefully so as not to tear the very pretty wrapping paper of gingerbread houses and snowmen ~~~

Then, he undid the opposite end ~~~

before undoing the middle part and climbing in to the middle of the parcel, where he pushed and he pushed until he got it open and revealed his lovely surprise present of ~~~

A Monsters Inc Suitcase!!!  {this is one of Treasure's most favourite films, and Tiny Tartan's too}

Treasure shook the case, and something rattled inside! He jumped back a bit, but then he found the clasp and slowly opened the case, being very careful incase something jumped out at him!  What could be inside?

But he need not have worried!  Tiny had filled the case full of chocolate coins!

Treasure says he has had the bestest Christmas ever!  A lovely book, of all his favourite characters, a suitcase to take his clothes and toys when he goes visiting Tiny Tartan in America, and chocolate coins of his very own to nibble on as he reads his new book!

Merry Christmas to All ~~~ And to All a Goodnight! xoxo

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Twenty Four: Christmas Eve

The day Treasure had waited for all month long is finally here . . December 24th, also known as Christmas Eve . . he is so excited he does not know what to do with himself . . he ran off to the Advent calendar and sqeaked with delight when he saw that Door Number Twenty Four is a Very Big Door with Two Sides!!!

Carefully, he slid his tiny paws in between the two doors and gently pushed back the first side . .

He peered in at half the scene and could see a lovely Teddy Bear sitting inside . .

 He moved to the other side and, again being very careful, he opened the other half of the door . .

He squeaked some more!  It is a beautiful picture of a bedroom all set up and waiting for Father Christmas . .

Sitting there, on a lovely comfy looking bed is a Teddy Bear with super cosy blankets, piles of presents all wrapped for tomorrow, which is Christmas Day, and a stocking, hung by the chimney, with care . .  It is such a cosy room, Treasure would love to go there one day . .
A Christmas Scene at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire . . 

Treasure stood back and admired the whole Advent Calendar.  All twenty four doors are now open and that means Father Christmas can drop down the chimney tonight with presents for Treasure . .

Treasure looked for a while, but his attention is now firmly on Tracking Father Christmas's progress on NORAD . . for it is already Christmas Day in some parts of the world, and many little bears and children who have been good all year will be waking up to stockings filled with goodies from Father Christmas . . 

TREASURE WISHES ALL HIS FOLLOWERS

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS XOXO

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Twenty Three . .

Today, Treasure helped put up the Christmas cards along a side table . . he asked especially if he could have his photograph taken by his very special card, the one with the Robin Red Breast sitting atop a bright red Royal Mail box in the snow.  Treasure is still hoping for snow . .

Today's Door is Number Twenty Three . . Treasure knows that there is only one more door after this one and Father Christmas will come down the chimney and put something sweet in his stocking, for Treasure has been a very good bear . .

Behind today's door is a beautiful rocking horse . .
A rocking horse and dolls in the Night Nursery at Lanhydrock in Cornwall . .

As many of you already know, Treasure is very fond of hossies (horses) and longs to go riding . .

. . but today, he is content to sit in front of a Christmas Elf in a jolly red and white sleigh being pulled by happy reindeer . .

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Twenty Two

This morning when Treasure arrived at the calendar he noticed a large white envelope sitting in the corner . . "What can it be?" asked Treasure, curiously . . "Why don't you open it and see?" said the lady who shares her house with Treasure and the other animals . .

Treasure struggled a bit, but said he didn't want any help, and he eventually pulled the large envelope over and onto it's front so that the flap on the back was facing him . .

Slowly, he managed to open the flap . .

  

Inside was a Christmas Card . .

 

Treasure pulled and pulled . . and out came the Christmas Card . . with a lovely, bright red old fashioned post box with a jolly Robin Red Breast sitting on top!  Treasure was so excited he almost forgot to open today's door on the Advent calendar . .

which today is Number Twenty Two . .

and it opened up to show a football game . .

A close up image of model players from a 1906 toy footbal game at the National Trust Museum of Childhood at Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Twenty One

Treasure was very busy today making his preparations for Christmas, so he nearly forgot to open today's door . . but on his way to the Advent Calendar he stopped to look at some figurines of Santa, one of which is a snowglobe.  Treasure is very fond of snowglobes and loves it when the lady who shares her cottage with him makes the snow swirl around . .

Today's Door Number Twenty One is near the parapet of the doll's house Advent calendar . .

Treasure got very excited when he saw a lot of toy soldiers all marching in a formation . .
Toy Soldier Christmas Decorations on a Chest of Drawers in the Tapestry Bedroom, Uppark, West Sussex . .

Treasure would love a bright red wool jacket and tall black hat like the soldiers are wearing . .

but for now, he is busy trying to peel his giant clemantine  . . and hopes he will find another in the toe of his Christmas Stocking that he will put on the foot of his bed in a few evenings time . . in the hopes that he is on Santa Claus's 'Good' List . .

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Twenty

The weather was very wet and very grey over the cottage where Treasure lives with the lady and other bears and animals so he stayed in his bed a lot longer than he normally would.  In fact, he stayed in bed so long today that he missed his breakfast, and his elevenses, and his lunch, and his threeses . . he is now very hungry and looking for a snack before tea . . but in the meantime he remembered the Advent calendar . . there are now very few doors left to open . .

and today's Door Number Twenty means there are, after today, just four more doors to open . . or, to put it another way, just five more sleeps until Christmas morning and we can all be very sure that, no matter the weather, Treasure will not be sleeping in late that morning!

Treasure got very excited today as the door revealed one of his favourite things . . a train!
Train set with locomotive pulling wagons inscribed "N & YR" in Seventh Heaven at Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire . . 

Treasure hopes his own train set will appear in time for Christmas Day and he can ride around the track in the living room . . but until then he will look longingly at this one . .

Treasure's Advent Calendar Day Nineteen

It is a very wet and wuthering day outside the cottage where Treasure lives, but the excitement is now getting more than Treasure thinks he will be able to bear . . for small bears are very easily excited, especially when they are hoping for a visit from Father Christmas.  Treasure could see a Father Christmas ornament behind one of his favourite snowglobes. Treasure loves snow and is deeply hoping that the horrible rain will turn into lovely, white, fluffy snow . . but for now he is looking at his snowglobes . . this is a very special snowglobe because it folds flat . .

This is another of his favourite snowglobe ornaments, for Treasure is very fond of the Snowman book and film by Raymond Briggs, author . .

This morning, a new sleigh arrived on the mantel shelf, pulled by two of Treasure's reindeer friends and in the sleigh was sitting a jolly little Christmas elf, surely he must be one of Santa's Helpers?

 Treasure found Door Number Nineteen . .

 and when he opened it, there was a toy box full of lovely old toys and what looks like a toy soldier and a pull along horsey . .
Wooden toys in the Children's Bedroom at the Wordsworth House, Cumbria . . the home of the Wordsworth family circa 1770 . .

The bears looked on, and Treasure tries to work out how many more doors are to open between now and December 24th . .