Our Whirlwind Christmas Parade Promoting Tour....

As some of you already know, I help the city of Wagoner promote their

Christmas parade each year. This is my 5th year to participate.

I begin at the crack of dawn by drinking my coffee and trying not to drink too much....because we all know how easy it is to get all bundled up like Randy on The Christmas Story movie....then have to go Wee Wee....

My sister, Terri, has participated every year with me....we are a team you see.

During the hectic getting dressed in the ONLY dressing room at the city office, we

pause to remember this moment.

Pausing again....at this point, I am realizing I might have drank too much coffee...see the blurr?

Here is the rest of the room in their panic frenzy to get ready to leave by 8:15.
(Picture taken at 8:27a.m.)
Notice Carly to the left.....no frenzy there! She is so patient.


Here is the group picture....oh wait, see the GIRL penguin in the back...
something is terribly wrong here...


We COULD blame it on the early morning frenzy...
but I'm going to say it is GLOBAL WARMING...
Our little penguin is just "not right".
Magic somehow managed to put on the body BACKWARDS...ba haaaa.

Here we have the The Three Musketeers...Tiffani, Regan and Paige.
AKA, Elmo, Hello Kitty and Tigger.

Here is the rest of the bus....ready for take off.

At the first stop, we gather for prayer...the big blue guy will lead us in prayer.

Quick shot of our tootsies. Did I mention that Terri and I are BAREFOOT in those shoes.....OUCH! We felt every bump, rock, heavy foot in those shoes.

Our regular shoes wouldn't fit inside them.....OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!

The elves are POPULAR...we have a fan club.

Thanks Chelle for being the PRESIDENT and only member!!

OH NO! The EVIL DUCKS are BAaaaaAAckk.

To learn how these sweet looking ducks are really evil in

feathers.....CLICK HERE.
Although, this year I admit....they were subdued somewhat....might be

because there was no BLUES CLUES to mess with.

Ok, here we are at Kids Day Out.

Can you find Waldo, er uh, Terri in that crowd?

Some of the children decide the big very friendly characters are just not that FRIENDLY looking...so they stay in the room and protect themselves behind their

very brave teacher.

By the way, the two adorable red heads are my great nephews....don't ask me which is which....one is Jayson and one is Noah. I still can't tell them apart.

Sign #1 that I drank too much coffee.

In between stops, we play the ever popular "Balance a candy can between your lip and nose" game.

Signs of the times....Kids just aren't that into Santa when compared to Elmo and the Mouse couple.

Why did the cat cross the road?

Nope not a scarecrow...

nope, not an elf that got his hand under Santa's sleigh...

just my silly sister trying to get the semis to honk their horn.

Clue #2 that I drank too much coffee.....
More balancing of the candy cane......

More "see who will honk at us".......and hopefully

not rear end the car in front of them.....

Our littlest visitor....my other great nephew, Tristan. I know that it IS Tristan because there is only ONE of him. I'm good like that.

Please don't judge him for what his parents dress him in....

he can still turn out good.....I know he can, I know he can.

One of our favorite stops..no, not the bathroom...is the local nursing home.

These people are awesome. We go there just in time to catch most of them

having lunch. One swore that it was poison, the other said it was miracle food.

This is NOT Sydni's favorite place because....some of the residents really like short dresses....well, some are just fascinated to find what is UNDER the short dresses.

Just ask my other daughter, Carly, why she was VERY glad she wore jeans under her Minnie Mouse dress one year.

Sydni chooses to NOT WAVE....her hands were pre-occupied.

Here are my girls with their Great grandparents, Coy and Anna.

Mr. and Mrs. Baker have been married 72 years. Usually Great-grandma is

a little cranky when we come. This time was extra special....she very excited to see them and smiled and smiled and smiled. Alzheimer's had reared it's ugly head to her, but she is not going to let it rob her of happiness.

A very tender moment with Carly and Great-grandpa.


Back to the bus and more candy cane balancing.....

One last "get rid of the coffee" stop....

and we are DONE (about 7 hours later) for 2 hours....then we start all over again dancing the jig

through the parade in 32 degree weather...and believe it or not, we SWEAT.