O Christmas Tree

Yesterday when we picked Garrison up from school, his teachers had created this Christmas tree outside his door.  I love it.  It shows all his little friends' faces.

top row - David

second row (and a half) - Garrison, Brooklyn, Caraline

third row - Whit, Caleb, Hayden (I think this is Hayden.  Sometimes it's hard for me to tell Hayden and Colby apart.  Which is not good, especially when I get mad about Hayden biting Garrison, but then realize I'm mad at the wrong kid).

fourth row - Jaxon, Colby (or Hayden), Mark

Christmas parade

This is an extremely honest post that should probably go in my journal rather than my blog.  Last night was the Columbus Christmas parade.  We stood outside in 70 degree weather (only in Mississippi is it that warm in December) for what was one of the most ridiculous things I've seen.

Let me preface this post by saying Garrison really did enjoy the parade.  He loved the bands (because of the drummers) and the fire trucks.  Don't he and his daddy look cute???

Are there horses in every Christmas parade?

Anyone who knows us knows that one of Will's best friends is black.  Orlando is a God send in Columbus.  He loves Will like a brother.  For the last two Thanksgivings we have had dinner at his mom's house with his WHOLE family.  So....I have been a proponent of Garrison going to public schools because I don't want him to grow up in a "white only" world.  But I've also come to realize that exposing him to other cultures and people who are different from us is mine and Will's responsibility.  Garrison will always be friends with Nazir (Orlando's 2 year old son) despite where he goes to school.

The last year or so Will and I have really been questioning where we will send G to school.  And more and more we've fallen in love with the Catholic school (I'm not claiming on here that's where he will definitely go, but it is an option).  More than where he WILL go, we've discussed where he WILL NOT go.  And last night was the nail in the coffin for me.  There is no way in h*ll he will go to the Columbus city public school.

As the bands and dance teams marched by, and the beauty queens rode by in their convertibles, and the clubs from schools rode by on floats, there were no white kids. So not only do I not want G to grow up in a "white only" world, but I don't want him to be the only white kid.

Here is a "float"...

The 4th runner up in a pageant.  4th runner up....really?  That's kind of humiliating.

I also had another revelation after I got home from the Christmas parade.  We have no friends here.  Will, Garrison and I stood for the whole hour Christmas parade just the three of us.  Everyone in Columbus is related to someone and they all do stuff with their families.  And most people have grown up here, so they have built in friends.  They don't realize how hard it is to make friends as adults, so they never invite "outsiders" to do things with them.

When I got home I realized that I was happy and content the whole time during the parade with is just being the 3 of us.  I honestly didn't even realize until we got home that we didn't talk to anyone else.  But then it hit me like a ton of bricks.... for it being a community event, we didn't have much "community."  Columbus has been an extremely hard place for us to live.  I pray God moves us quickly.  And if He decides we have to stay in Columbus a little longer, I pray the time goes quickly until Josh and Meredith move here.

Thanksgiving

Each year at Thanksgiving we've taken Garrison's picture in this red rocking chair.  I think Grandaddy Garrison made it.  Look at how much little booger has changed.  And I think it may be time for a hair cut! 

Mama Monkey and new friends

We have been reading a book at night "5 Little Monkeys Reading in Bed."  Garrison loves it.  The monkeys are supposed to be in bed, but they read books instead.  Mama Monkey comes in and tells them, "Lights out, sweet dreams, no more reading in bed!"  Garrison LOVES Mama Monkey.  If she isn't on the page we are reading, he asks where Mama Monkey is.  And then he will point to her and say, "That Mama Monkey?"

Well, Mama Monkey has turned into a slight imaginary friend.  A few nights ago we were talking about her, and he laughed.  I asked him what was funny, and he said, "Tozer just licked Mama Monkey."  ha!

He was eating toast with jelly, and Mama Monkey was sitting at the table with us.  I told him to give Mama Monkey a bite, and he held his toast over.  I said, "What did she say?"  "Thank you!"  Well, at least Mama Monkey has good manners!

Mama Monkey is also a bit of a disciplinarian.  If he thinks he's about to get in trouble, he will say, "Mama Monkey get me?" 

A group of photographers are teaming up to do a "pay it forward" idea in Columbus.  Yesterday afternoon we all met (with all our kids) to take some pictures and do a video shoot.  I kept telling we were going to meet some new friends, and I would name all their names.

After we finished, I took him to Chick Fil A while Will was at church.  A couple of little boys walked by him, and he said, "bye bye new friends."  Ha!  I guess every new person he sees is going to be a "new friend" now.

guitar

This boy looooooves his guitar.  And singing.  I have no idea what he's singing about, but he's passionate about it. 

Happy Halloween!

Sometimes I wonder if Garrison is going to grow up and think his parents are REALLY weird!  And then I look at these pictures from last night and know he will definitely think that!  Will says he will look back and say, not only did my parents dress me up for Halloween, but they dressed up too! 

So Will LOVES Elvis.  Loves him.  A few years ago we went to Graceland on our anniversary.  Which theoretically would be cool, but I am NOT. A. FAN.  After being in Graceland for an hour, I told him that the tour wasn't as bad as I thought.  He then informed me we had only seen about 1/4 of it!! 

So Will loves Elvis.  I don't really care for him all that much.  But when Will suggested Garrison be Elvis for Halloween, I couldn't object.  I mean, how many dads really get that into dressing their kid up, right?  Little did I know Will wanted Garrison to be Elvis so HE could be Elvis too!!!  He went to a costume shop in Starkville and found this hideous costume.  They also had a girl Elivs costume that Will wanted me to wear.  Um....we're going trick or treating, not to a convention.  So I settled on Priscilla.

All day yesterday I had to remind Will of a couple of things:
1.  He could not listen to nor sing Elvis music all day long or I'd lose my mind.
2.  Elvis is dead.

We actually had a really good time trick or treating.  We went to Garirson's school, where he was SO SHY when he saw Mrs. Anita.  He loves her, but he wouldn't sing or say anything to her!  He's been singing all week, "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hounddog" but he wouldn't sing it for anyone we saw!  By the end of the night he was calling his candy "Trick or Treat."  I guess people had said trick or treat to him so many times that he thought that's what candy is called!

Let the biting begin....

Yesterday Garrison had an "ouch" report in his backpack.  It said he had gotten bitten during play time.  I immediately asked him who bit him.  I'm not sure why I'm surprised he actually told me (I guess that's a sign he's growing up), but he immediately said Hayden.

When we got home, I told him to tell Daddy what happened at school.  He said, "Hayden bit me" and pointed to his shoulder.

This is the first time he's been bitten.

It's also the first time I've ever wanted to bite a kid.  Just kidding.  Kind of.

This morning I asked Mrs. Anita what happened.  She said she couldn't tell me who bit him, but I told her he told me Hayden.  She confirmed that it was him.  She said they were putting up blocks, and Hayden just got wild and bit Garrison.  He has such a sweet spirit and tender heart that he just cried.  She said another kid would have knocked Hayden out!

It's hard to teach him to not bite back!  It's also a hard lesson that sometimes people are not nice to you but we have to forgive them and still be nice to them.  Whew, I think I will always learn that myself!

Here's the evidence....