We spent the rest of the day with our friends the Lehman's. Every year they host an open house in the neighborhood. Since we are usually here for Thanksgiving and this year just us 4 we were happy to attend. They also invited us to stay for dinner and spend the day. Thanks Lehman's for a terrific time. We loved visiting with your family and Sky's mashed potatoes.
Friday we headed downtown for the annual tree lighting in McKinney. This year the town planted the it's very own tree (it's big, I can't remember how big though). The highlight of the evening was when it "snowed." Every year the town has snow appear from the rooftops. Not exactly real cold, wet flakes. More like sticky, soapy ones. But to a child, what's the difference?
Christmas decorating keeps getting earlier and earlier. And in Texas it seems extremely so. I saw lights go up on folks houses before Halloween. Now, I know you get a better price on having them hung and as long as you don't light them till after Thanksgiving, I guess it's okay;)
So, Thanksgiving weekend the boxes came down from the attic (with a few choice words from my hubby), the trees were wrapped outside, and our new artificial pre-lit 9 foot tree was decorated. Yes, I know what you're thinking...but, it's hard to find a fresh cut tree where we live without busting the bank. I have to admit our pre-lit tree sparkles sooo nicely. What was even nicer was the company I had decorating the the tree this year. Zach and Andrew are old enough to really help and they want too!! I don't know how many years it will last, but I'll enjoy it while it does. Another realization...artificial trees are so much easier for kids to help decorate...no sticky sap, prickly needles, and limp branches to hinder the fun!
We also brought the boys to Disney's Nemo on Ice while it was in town. At the intermission we ditched our seats (which were really fine but in a very busy section - people up and down the whole performance) for 4 seats in the front row. We were behind 2 rows of people sitting on the the ice and then us. It was really cool to see the performers up close. Of course we risked the chance of getting busted and the walk of shame back to our real seats. Now, this doesn't seem to bother Ed and me (will we ever grow up?). But, one very honest, rule following 7 year old didn't share our enthusiasm. Zach just couldn't understand what we were doing. What if someone came to sit in their seats?? Would we go to jail?? I explained we would happily go back to our other seats, which we could see were empty, and watch the rest of the show. Ed and I decided no more seat swapping with the kids;)
