Why Santa may not come to our house this year

I woke up early on Saturday because the boys were awake (shocking), and I needed to wash a sink full of dishes. Then, I had big plans of going for a run when Bub awoke, come home, shower, make muffins, and go to the local Santa parade with some friends at noon. However, when I logged on to double check the start time, I found out it was two hours earlier than I thought! Oh crap! So, I started the muffins (one batch chocolate chip and one batch almond), gave the boys some cereal and juice, and made enough noise that Bub had no choice but to get up. Then, the second she was out of bed, I jumped into my jeans, sneakers, and levi jacket, and went to take the truck to the parade route to save a spot.

Oh yes - big hurry - less than an hour to find a spot, walk home, shower, dress, and finish with the boys. But, wait! What the.....?!?!? There are no people/chairs/saved spots at the start of the parade. Shit! Where does the parade start? So, I just started driving through town until I saw some people setting up their chairs and parked there. So, I've now parked at least 3/4 mile farther than I had planned which means that I have that much farther to rush back home. Note to self: besides KNOWING the start time of the parade AND the route, remember to wear a bra when leaving the house. Always.

This bra-less-ness wasn't going to be a big deal when I was just walking the original three blocks home. But, now that I have much farther to go and less time than I planned, I needed to hoof it. I'm a runner (a slow, heavy one, but still a runner), so no biggie IF I were wearing a supportive under garment. I ran as much as possible while just holding myself in place - a much harder task than it seems.

ANYWAY - back to Santa.... So, we rushed around the house and got the boys ready to go. I left the house with wet hair and was lucky to have a jacket and shoes on. We met Papa, Nana, and our friends, ate muffins, and drank coffee and hot chocolate. Finally, the parade started - in the reverse direction from all of the other city parades. It was small (it IS December, after all), but it was fun. Well, fun for everyone but Kali whose hand was stepped on by an over-eager candy grabber who didn't even apologize! The floats were cute (compared to the dismal 4th of July parade), the marching band was non-existent. The boys picked up some candy with the help of Nana and Papa. Bub became Kali's best friend, and I spent the entire time going back and forth to the car.

Jingle bells announce Santa's approach. The jolly fellow arrives atop a stage coach pulled by six very nice looking black horses. Luckily, the parade encountered a challenge with forward motion at the exact time that Santa was to pass us, so he was temporarily detained right in front of us! As Santa is known to do, he spent the extra few minutes waving to the excited kids (ours weren't excited because they don't really get Santa, yet) and saying Santa-esque things like "Ho-ho-ho!" And, at the very moment that he "ho-ho-ho'd" our group specifically, Peanut projectile vomited all over the street. Santa seemed less than amused.