Today's Christmas Celebrations

Today was full of still more Christmas cheer. First off, the boys put the ornaments on the Christmas tree that has now been up for no fewer than nine days. They LOVED doing this and placed every single ornament on the bottom 1/3 of the tree. I just left them there, because, honestly, who cares?

After their naps, the boys got up and got dressed to head to the 3rd Generation Barn Loft for their Living Nativity. We've done it once before, and it's super cool. But before we could leave, Jones disobeyed (and talked back), and the consequence for his disobedience was staying home. For a child who loves farms, barns, and livestock as much as Jones Pressley does, this was pretty painful. At least, I hope it was.

That meant Freddie and I flew solo, which is something we next to never get to do (it also meant Jeremy and Jones stayed home and watched the SEC Championship, which I suspect may have had something to do with Jeremy's selection of consequence. But I digress).

The event was so cool. I wish Jones would've been there, not only because it's another way for him to hear the Christmas story but also because it combines a few of his favorite things - performance and a barnyard. Freddie, though, loved petting the donkey; he even kissed it. During the rest of the presentation, he climbed on our hay bale "chair" and swung from the white wooden cross ties in the nearly 100 year old barn.

He MAY have missed the point of the story.

As we drove home after the performance, Freddie grandly announced every time we passed Christmas lights - "Wook out yours windows! Wook out mize windows!" He's inherited his brother's enthusiasm, it seems.

Finally home, we ate some of Jeremy's delicious chili, while Jeremy went to ring the bell for the Salvation Army - an assignment from his Rotary Club. Then, the boys and I did our Advent lesson, read some Christmas books, and hit the Christmas hay.

Fun begins again about ten hours from now.

I'm in love with our new tree skirt. 

SEC Championship; Roll Tide Roll! 

When we went outside to head to the
Nativity, Jones immediately ran
over to the wooden Santa
"standing" there and said,
"Please, Santa, don't forget to bring me
Stinky the Garbage Truck." 

kissing a donkey

This is me. I have graying hair and live
here, too. I took this picture to prove it.

Happy Birthday, Wawa!

Twice this week, we've gotten to celebrate Lila's birthday. We just happened to be in town on the actual day - November 30th - so we met the family out for Japanese food, and when we heard about her ice skating party to be held on Friday, we had to head back down the mountain, so we didn't miss any of the festivities.

I don't have too much to say about the party; the boys didn't skate. Instead, they spent the afternoon being chased around by their beloved Bobo and loved on by their wonderful cousins. I guess that's all I NEED to say.

Jones and Freddie, you are the center of many universes, you lucky, lucky, little lads you.

They walked on this brick wall, pretending they were
trains on a track. 

"I want Bobo sit behide me."

I LOVE his profile. LOVE it.

I can't believe how much both of my
boys love candy canes.

Canton Christmas Parade

In the Pressley family, we make a point of NEVER missing a parade. Because Gatlinburg's tragic wildfires canceled today's plans to go to Dollywood (we were going, so Jones could see the decorations / parade there, ironically enough), we were able to go to the Canton Christmas Parade, which the boys have seen each of the last three years.

This year's parade was more fun than I remember the previous years' being. That's most likely because the bigger the boys get, the more they enjoy everything, and also because we sat at the start of the route for the first time, instead of at its end, so those on floats still had candy to pass out when they got to our seats, parked adjacent to the Japanese restaurant.

Freddie appointed himself as the getter of the candy. He showed zero fear - or sense - when it came to jumping in the street to pick up whatever had been thrown at our feet. He also showed no restraint when helping himself to his treasures. Where Jones would sweetly ask, "Mama, may I please have this?" Freddie would just take the wrapper off and eat it - until he picked up something he wanted more. The massive bag of treats we took home must've contained twenty six half eaten DumDum suckers, as well as what I THINK (HOPE!) was a partially masticated Tootsie Roll.

It was colder then it's been all season. Since Jeremy just met us there after work, I took him a sweatshirt, and as a little jab, I took his UK pullover. Someone riding in the back of a float saw it and yelled, "Big Blue Nation!" And I, of course, shouted back, "Go, Cats!"

It was awesome.

Unfortunately, there aren't any "awesome" pictures from the parade. The light was too low in the spot where we were sitting, but still. These will at least help us remember a little bit of our annual tradition of seeing the Canton Christmas Parade with Nana and Pop. We're hoping to go to the Waynesville Parade tomorrow nite, but they're expecting rain, so we shall see ...

When he heard some music start up,
Jones broke into the Hot Dog Dance.

I loved this float. 

Freddie, picking up candy

At the end of the parade,
someone threw beads.
The boys were BESIDE themselves.