Are We There Yet?

Our Downtown Christmas Adventure...

The day after Thanksgiving, since we had to give up the Bowling Green football game, the kids and I decided to take Aunt Michelle up on a fine idea...a trip downtown to see the lighting of the city's official Christmas tree. After all, how could you beat a fun trip with Aunt Michelle to a FREE Christmas event?!

Since Aunt Michelle had to work, we arrived at her house just before she did. We piled my kids, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Bill, and cousin Ashley in the minivan...it was a bit cramped, but at least we were all warm! The event officially began at 7PM and we thought we would just make it. Since we pulled into the parking garage downtown around 7:05, we figured a few minutes wouldn't make that big of a difference. Apparently, it made a VERY big difference.

This event begins with Santa, Rudolph and an elf rappelling down one of the skyscrapers downtown...
...we missed that. Then they light the sixty-foot Christmas tree on the town square...we missed that...and shoot off fireworks. Technically, we didn't miss the fireworks...we could hear them exploding as we rushed through the parking garage. Note to self for next year: this event starts at 7PM and ends around 7:08PM. What a shame!

Never ones to be called party poopers, we decided to push through the crowd and check out the square anyway. (We were heading toward the square while 99% of the rest of the attendees were heading away from it.) Since the crowds were so thick, Ashley kindly offered to give Molly a ride...
...and Molly gladly took her up on that offer. We pushed through the people, around the ice skating rink (not willing to try that fiasco with two little ones), and ended up in a fairly open part of the square. Carson -- in his typical fashion -- darted into the crowd to see what he was missing. Molly was quite upset...
...and kept yelling "Carrrrrr-sonnnnnn! Carrrrr-sonnnnnnnn!" We found him pretty quickly...and made sure to keep hands and eyes on him from then on! There really wasn't much to do except listen to the live band or ice skate. To put it mildly, the kids got bored pretty quickly. We decided to take a few pics...
...and Aunt Michelle quickly grabbed the Littles. Hey, Aunt Michelle, those are MY little ones...and you can't have 'em!! (Aunt Michelle's kids are 22, 17, and 15 and she would gladly swipe a few little ones...she LOVES little kids!) I finally broke down and bought Carson and Molly light-up wands in an effort to keep 'em interested...we didn't drive all the way down here to stay ten minutes!
The wands were a big hit and kept them busy for a while. As they ran around (we found an open area on the square where we could still see the live band), they created quite a stir as people watched them being silly. I was able to steal my kids back from Aunt Michelle...
...and Ashley took a few pics for me. We goofed around taking pictures for a while...
...until Molly decided she wasn't going to cooperate.
It took a bit of convincing...
...to get a pic where she would smile with me. Then the kids spotted Santa!
Well, actually this "Biker Santa" was one of many walking around the square -- and, accordingly to Ashley, he stunk of cigarette smoke and Indian food -- and Carson demanded to know why his beard wasn't white. (He told Carson he was Santa's younger helper and his beard would turn white eventually. Carson was OK with that.)

What do you do when the kids lose interest again? Offer 'em food!! Aunt Michelle and Uncle Bill treated the kids to hot chocolate and kettle corn...
...but, apparently, the hot chocolate was a bit TOO hot for Molly's taste.
Is it me or does it look like Meggie might kill me at any moment? Snack time was a GREAT time filler...
...until Molly spilled hers and made a mess all over the wall we were using as a bench! (We don't call her "Pigpen" for nothing. You remember Pigpen......from Charlie Brown? That's Molly to a tee...she ALWAYS ends up stained no matter where we are!)

Molly and Ashley helped clean up the mess...
...and Meggie resumed (not) making the best of a boring time. (Teenagers!) At least Carson and Molly...
...were having fun! Those two can make anything fun, though...ahhhh, youth! After snack time, Carson and Molly (who took off their hats for a while because they said their heads were hot and itchy) were running around with their light-up wands, using them as swords. A couple came out of the restaurant we were in front of and the guy started goofing around with them. It was so cute and he let them "attack" him...
...but the picture I ended up with (the only non-blurry one) makes it look like my little ones are beating up a homeless person! I swear this guy was a willing volunteer...and left the event completely unharmed!!

A few more pics...
...of Meggie stealing Carson's hat...
...and Aunt Michelle still trying to steal Molly, and we called it a night. (Well, we went to Big Boy for dessert and THEN called it a night.) Even though the Teenager was crabby and we missed the main events, it turned out to be a very fun evening!

Next year, we'll be sure to get there earlier...