"Deck the Halls" to make Jones jolly ...

Jones Pressley is a Kevin McAlister-kind of kid. By that, I mean that nothing on this planet makes him happier than holiday decorations. I know ALL kids love decorations, but Jones seems to love them more than what is normal - or maybe he's just better at expressing his delight.

Regardless, it is for his pleasure ALONE that I hang hearts on his door in February, put scarecrows on the porch in October, and do the myriad other holiday-specific things that I do, because trust me: those things are not done for ME or even Freddie. He could care less, or so it seems.

Because of Jones's great love, though, I've kind of begged Jeremy to let us do some "exterior illumination" here at the house. He's okay with greenery and white lights, but Jones's appetite is for the tacky, the tasteless, the totally off-the-wall. Give us your inflatable Santa peeking out of a plastic outhouse. Then my baby boy's Christmas cheer will be complete.

Thus far, Jones's hunger for outdoor holiday decor has gone unfed. This year, however, I found a loophole. "Jeremy said inflatables weren't allowed in OUR yard, but what about the BOYS' yard," I wondered as I saw a "very tasteful," 4-foot-tall Santa on sale for $17.99 at the Waynesville Lowe's.

Without much hesitation, Jeremy agreed, and a few weeks ago, the boys and I got the clubhouse all dolled up. We added lights and the wooden Rudolph that used to bedeck the Pressleys' halls, and the result is a display to make Mama's Little Griswold catch his breath every time he steps outside.

There aren't many things that could make my Christmas merrier than that.

Just because ...

my boys; their clubhouse

Insta-Stupendous

I love InstaStories.

No, really.

I LOVE them.

Here's one from today.

Stump Speech

"Welcome to my show! I'm JoJo."

We've barely had the thing for three weeks, and it's already ABUNDANTLY clear that the money we spent on "da cwubhouse" is the best we've ever spent. Seriously. The boys LOVE it. I've been out there playing with them in it when it's gone from being a pirate ship to being a little pig's home under attack by the Big Bad Wolf to being home base for Special Agent secret missions - all in the span of about 15 minutes, so I am SO thankful that we've given the boys their own "black box theatre" kind of space the they can turn into whatever they want it to be.

At the same time, the tree stump they discovered last Summer didn't cost us a cent, and it remains a critical component of the boys' backyard playtimes - especially as Jones becomes more and more of a showman. At least six times a week, he'll tell me, "I have a show tonite, Mama." Generally, the show never happens, but today, it did. Thankfully, my camera was in the audience to capture some of the show.

Oh, and I don't have this on video - I thought I'd gotten it, but I guess I didn't - but before he'd start a "set," Jones would welcome the audience and then pray. I'm not sure where he's seen this done, but I think it's awesome, and I pray he's always a little prayer warrior.

I walked out to find this - both of them,
standing on the stump, practicing -
I guess - for their big show. 

Freddie looks like a worship leader here.

Maybe we SHOULD'VE named him Elvis.

I don't know whom he's observed tuning
their guitar, but my little mimic's got
the motion down pat.