The mad dash to the holidays are here already. Anyone else ready to ask Congress for one more week in December? I sure could use one!

Why right here, in front of the Starbucks at 66th and Columbus Avenue, of course. Best of all, you can’t see the sign from here but:

They even bring it home for you. Free. I didn’t check out any price tags, so I’m not sure how prices compare, to be honest. I was just tickled that you could pick up a peppermint hot chocolate AND your Christmas tree, right here.

So that was last Friday, and after an adventurous trip home that included missing my flight, flying to Raleigh instead, renting a car (all the computers were down NATIONWIDE and they were renting by HAND), and driving home late at night, I made it. My presence was really important because we had big doin’s Saturday.

The Christmas parade! That’s my tween in the pink coat, holding the banner for her dad’s news station (where I used to work too.) And behind her, the big Nutcracker balloon the News2 crew was guiding down the street.

That’s my hubby at the extreme left. They had to help the Nutcracker recline to make it under the light poles and street signs at the corner, before letting him rise back to vertical. I didn’t get to see this, but they also ran around in circles under him so the Nutcracker twirled down the street! Tween says that’s when the crowd really cheered — even louder than they did when they threw candy.

And then later this night, Disney on Ice! I’ll spare you the pictures, but we had a great time. As expected the toddler was enthralled until intermission and then she was DONE.