It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas- June.

Aunt Jenni has been calling mama and talking about the Christmas music they are already playing on the radio in Indiana. Add on all the Christmas commercials on the TV and the fact that we've already got most of our Christmas shopping done (yeah!), and you knew it was just a matter of days before mama succumbed to the pressure and got out the Christmas stuff.

She's always got a good excuse about us being gone for so long over Christmas and how if we waited until all our guests were gone, we'd only be able to enjoy our tree for 2 weeks. I think the real reason might be that she's ready to clean all of the new ornaments she's been hoarding all year out of her dresser drawer.

She and papa got all the boxes out of the attic (hooray again for a walk-in attic) and mama got to work setting up the tree. It's surprising how fast everything goes up when you actually have room to unpack it. It was almost enjoyable save for Henry hounding mama about putting up the tree lights NOW! I played with my June doll and tried to get this hat ornament to stay on her head.

She got the tree up before lunch and mama put the lights on during our nap. So when we woke up, it was finally time to start hanging ornaments. Henry employed the "how many can I fit on one branch method."

Papa had to go to work (boo for Sunday faculty meetings- during the Bengals game, no less), so mama had to contend with two very excited kids and literally boxes and boxes of ornaments being torn open. We glad to announce that no ornaments were irreparably damaged during the melee. But everyone is getting super glue in their stocking to replace the stock we went through yesterday. We found our stegosaurus' tail under the couch last night.



If you have to decorate a tree with only kids around, Henry is the best kid to have. He got excited about EVERY ornament.


He was a little nervous that the Grinch might come steal our tree. Papa thinks it's funny that he doesn't care much about a jovial, benevolent man who brings presents to good girls and boys, but instead likes the mean green guy who will take your presents unless you understand the real spirit of Christmas. Mama thinks maybe it is because it is more in line with the rule of this house anyway.

After we finished the big tree in the toy room, we moved on to the little tree in the office. Mama had put yellow lights on it, but Henry found left over red lights and insisted that we use all the lights. So now we have a tribute to the Kansas City Chiefs in our office. (Way to go beating the Steelers!) Coincidentally, mama had left over Ikea ornaments to decorate the tree that are red and gold, so it works. Henry insisted that the trees were light enough and turned off all the lights in the house. I had a good time running around the house in the dark.

While we decorated, mama was trying to keep up with the Bengals game, so we could do whatever we wanted. We had a Christmas sing-a-long on the guitar.

And I kept myself happy climbing over two chairs.

And sliding down the side. It kept me busy for at least 2 failed red-zone attempts by the Bengals.

When we were done, mama insisted on trying to get a picture of us in front of the tree. (I'm wearing a vintage dress from the mama collection.)

An low and behold, we actually got a good picture! For the first time in her life, I sat still and even said "Cheese" and smiled nicely for a picture! Maybe it's because I'm starting to understand that a good picture usually means a piece of candy from the Halloween stash. Or more likely, I'm afraid if I don't sit still, the Grinch might come and take our tree.

Raking leaves- Junie.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day, and despite mama's insistence that we get some cleaning done in anticipation of the Parsons Thanksgiving Invasion, we all headed outside to enjoy the weather. (It should be noted that we consider it beautiful because it was only 60 degrees.)

Papa started raking and I helped out by stuffing some leaves into this pitcher.

Henry jumped into the big pile and promptly lost his shoe. Mama and papa had to spread all the leaves out and it took 10 minutes to find it.

The strong man in action.

Mama wanted a picture of us in the leaves, but I didn't like it.

I prefer a cuddle instead.

Mama and her kids.

Hey, stop taking my picture.

What? You'll give me candy if I smile?

This shot cost papa two tootsie rolls. And it should be noted that after raking yesterday, the front yard is totally covered in leaves again.

This week in pictures- Juner.

Well, you got to see this week in videos yesterday. Now here are the pictures.

Mama cleaned out the glass cupboard and now we can actually close it. (Mama and papa used to collect glasses when they traveled. Now they just collect sippy cups.) This is for you, Miss Susan.

Grams Cracker made a bargain with Henry. She told him if he could go three days without yelling inside, she'd send him a matchbox car. It took two weeks, but Henry finally made it to three days (non-consecutive) with no screeches. Here's his chart. He has discovered the satisfaction of coloring with a permanent marker. Mama let him color this then told him he wasn't allowed to use it anymore because it bleeds through the paper on to her white counter tops.

At the last minute, one of papa colleagues offered him tickets to the Clemson-Virginia game. Our awesome neighbors agreed to watch Buster and I, and mama and papa took off for Death Valley.

If you watched the game on the TV, it was easy to spot them- they were the ones in orange.

Saturday was Military Appreciation Day. The band lined up in this formation and it took papa a minute to figure out that it was America upside-down.

This spells Clemson, papa.

Looks like everyone had fun.

Here's a video of the first Clemson touchdown. Everyone was pumped until the officials threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Then everyone booed, which mama doesn't think is very sportsmanlike either.

Clemson has a good way to weed out fake fans. During the fight song, you have two opportunities to spell out "CLEMSON." But there's a pause after the O, during which you pretend to wave your imaginary cap around in tribute to Clemson's military school past. It always takes mama a few times to remember the pause and not look like an idiot yelling out the N too soon. But by the end of the game, she had it down.