The Christmas Tree

We got the boys their first barber shop haircuts. They both did a good job sitting in the chairs. Cole was wiggly and the guy doing the cutting didn't do the greatest job but it got done and they both look a whole lot better than they did. Tyler chilled in the stroller while the boys got their cuts.



We purchased our Christmas tree after the haircuts. We like to make this trip as a family and do it together. Our family outingconsisted of the following series of events:
1. Lindsay arrives at Walmart with the kids
2. Chad meets family at Walmart, coming straight from work
3. Grant and Cole run around looking at all of the giant toys in the garden department of Walmart, while Lindsay and Chad search for the cheapest, smallish tree to be found (Tyler is, of course, in tow in Lindsay's arms)
4. Lindsay and Chad find the desired type and price of tree, while Grant and Cole to drool over the toys
5. Lindsay and Chad determine that the perfect tree is already on display in a tree stand, containing four very long screw bolts
6. Chad sets to work unscrewing said bolts, with Grant's assistance
7. Lindsay takes Chad's wallet, Tyler and Cole inside to pay for said tree
8. Lindsay returns to the site of the tree with Tyler and Cole, where Chad and Grant are still diligently unscrewing the bolt
9. Cole says those magical words that every mother loves to hear while in Walmart, "I have to go poop."
10. Lindsay and Chad give each other the look and sigh
11. Chad and Grant finish unscrewing the tree
12. Lindsay, Tyler and Cole begin the trek to the other side of Walmart to take care of the pooping
13. Chad and Grant have the tree netted and load up the tree into the Tahoe
14. Cole finishes his business and Lindsay heads to the grocery department for some dinner fixings
15. Chad and Grant go home
16. Lindsay, with Tyler and Cole, makes her purchases and begins the long trek back to the garden department
17. Lindsay and the two smallest boys make it back to the Tahoe where the tree is loaded
18. The children are loaded and the drive home is made
The message to take from this is that our so called family outing for the perfect Christmas tree, turned out to be nothing like a family outing at all.
When we got home we had enough time to get the tree in the stand and eat the horrid Stouffer's dinners in a bag that were purchased (we never eat these) before our home teachers arrived. The kids, in true kid fashion, took the visit from the home teachers as an opportunity to model just about every single Halloween costume they own. Grant disappeared and reappeared as Batman. Cole then disappeared with Grant. Cole reappeared with Batman costume in hand for Chad to dress him in. Grant then reappeared as Mario, including the shoes and hat. After a few minutes, Grant disappeared a third time, only to return as Optimus Prime, complete with the mask in place. I love and marvel at the complete lack of inhibitions that young children have.
After our visitors left, it was tree decorating time. Chad commented that from our pictures it was going to be hard to know what holiday it was, given our children were still dressed up as their favorite superheros. The tree was successfully decorated, but not without the traditional game of search for the loose or burned out bulb in a light strand. Chad won this game and the tradition of the Christmas tree was executed and completed yet another year.