December 25th

Christmas day with his family is always the best day of the year. In case you were wondering, Phil got a present from (and had sent a present to) a pretty puffin girl

December 24th

Phil spent the morning skiing with all his Utah friends, and still made it to Christmas eve with Brent, Päivi, and Emily.

December 23rd

Phil started to realize how lucky he was. He really did have lots of people to love, and lots of people who loved him. Hm, maybe Joulupukkin Vaimo was right. Maybe that is what Christmas is about.

December 22nd

Phil spent the day wrapping presents. Per usual, Livi and Zoe were no help. Eventually, they needed help from somebody with opposable thumbs... "PÄÄÄÄIIIIIVVVIIIII! BRRRRREEEEEENNNT! HELP!"

December 21st

Phil made Doni take him Christmas shopping... Doni was so excited for some shopping with her favorite penguin after a long, hard semester. Little did she know, they spent the whole day in the fish store, Doni's worst nightmare.

December 20th

As Phil headed home, he had a lot to think about... a pretty girl puffin, so much Christmas shopping to do, all his adorable sea monster "nieces" and "nephews," and of course, he couldn't help but think about fish.

December 19th

As Phil was leaving, one of the single girl puffins gave him a fish for the swim, and a peck on the check, before blushing and swimming away.

December 18th

While in the Lofoten Islands, Phil met a lot of puffin friends. They found him quite dashing and rather funny. (Phil was surprised that they found him so funny, most of his other friends just groan when he tells fish jokes). Phil made a mental note to return in the future...

December 17th

After having returned the little merimörkö to his thankful parents, Phil decided to stop at the Lofoten Islands of Norway on the way home. He remembered from vacation a few years that there had been LOTS of fish hanging out to dry everywhere. Sadly not the case.

December 16th

Phil was on his way back, when he heard a weird noise out of his backpack. The littlest merimörkö had stowed away with him and "wanted to come home with Uncle Phil, pretttty please!!!"

December 15th

Feeling a little better, Phil stopped on the way home to see Merimörkö, the used-to-be-sole sea monster of the north and his good friend. Merimörkö had a new wife (who used to be the "sole sea monster of South," they met at Christmas a few years ago when Merimörkö visited Phil's family), and they had recently 13 little Merimörkös.

December 14th

Before leaving the tonttu had a special gift for Phil. They had made a special friend for him

December 13th

Joulupukkin Vaimo reminded Phil that he has many people to love and that many people love him. And that someone special often comes when you aren't looking.

December 12th

Phil and Joulupukkin Vaimo made korvapuustis and talked all afternoon. Phil told her about how he wanted to find somebody to love.

December 11th

Not sure where else to look, he decided to go to the granter of many wishes, off to Korvatunturi!

December 10th

A little discouraged, Phil decided it was time to go visit one of his oldest friends, Monkey. Monkey's mom promptly offered to find Phil a pretty monkey girl. Phil wasn't so sure he could spend that much time in such a warm climate...

December 9th

After many responses, Phil got dressed up for his first date. (The advantage of being is penguin is that that you are always classy in a tux). Unfortunately, after arriving, he didn't think this was going to be a good fit.

December 8th

Phil went down to the zoo, and posted on the bulletin board. "Looking for a special friend: interests must include fish, cold, ice, swimming, and fish."

December 7th

So where does a little Penguin find a special friend of his own? There don't seem to be any websites for Penguins to find love...

December 6th

Phil started to think. Maybe it was time for him to find a special friend of his own.

December 5th

It turned out that Zack did NOT like sharing his cage at night... Nor did he like ice baths. Or fish pops. Or fish smoothies.

December 4th

Feeling a little lonely, Phil went up to Madison to hang out with Laura and Jake. He managed to convince them that it was time for sushi.

December 3rd

Now, I know, after 5 years, we don't need to tell you, but just in case: Phil arrived in St. Louis with a birthday fish. He and Päivi spent the day drinking tea and chatting.

December 2nd

Phil went to visit Emily in LA, but she was out looking for a Christmas tree with Tinah, and Fin and Waffle were hanging out together... Sad, he curled up with Emily's roommate, Carder, on the couch and waited for everybody to get home.

December 1st

Phil woke up completely decorated like a Christmas tree. He knew the Tonttu must be near and that advent is here!!!

This is our FIFTH year doing Phil's Christmas! If you click on a year in the sidebar you can see that whole year's posts at once.