Sights and Sounds of the Season

As you may have noticed, there is always a flurry of activity (bodies, toys, mouths) in our house. Below are a few scenes of our nativity scene (it seems to be of the traveling variety) and Christmas tree as well as some commentary by the two big boys.
Doug was helping Stephen finish his dinner the other night when Stephen declared, "I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was cold and you took me in."

Lest you say, "Aw, how sweet!", keep reading. Upon the final "Amen" at lunch today, the same child said, "Amen, I sin!" Unfortunately the tone of his voice led me to believe it was not a statement of repentence.

One of the Veggie Tale Christmas songs decries the commercialism of the modern holiday, and the chorus goes, "Jingle, jingle, jingle ka-ching" only Stephen heard, "Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, my chin." We'll save that for the post-holiday dirge.

Andrew has been listening, too, and after the first verse of Jingle Bell Rock he declared, in the most serious of voices, "Misteltoe is a kind of plant and it can kill trees."

I made the mistake of getting out Babar and Father Christmas yesterday (de Brunhoff was a very wordy man) and Andrew said, "Father Christmas...that is a funny name for Santa."

Christmas Traditions: Part Three - Advent Jesse Tree

My sister introduced me to this book a few years ago, and I think it is a wonderful way to celebrate advent.

"The Advent Jesse Tree seeks to tell the story of God's redemptive plan for the world through 25 symbols from the Old and New Testament. The symbols trace the heritage of Jesus Christ from the beginning of creation. Each symbol is explained with scriptures, devotions, questions, prayers, a memory verse and songs....You may choose to make ornaments and place them on a small Christmas tree to coincide with this book of symbols."

A lot of the fun has been finding and creating the ornaments. The picture isn't very clear but there is fruit and a snake, an ark, a sheaf of wheat, a cluster of grapes, a globe. Yesterday we made a crown and dove representing the Prince of Peace (I used a ring off the neck of a vinegar jug, paper, & beads) and a slingshot (a stick & rubber band).

A Sigh of Relief

We survived the Christmas concert. I must say I was tense the whole time and was only able to relax once the little ones exited stage left.

The past few weeks of practice have been interesting as you never know quite what to expect out of a 4 year old. Especially one who is tired. I realize that everyone expects some child to do something "cute" in such performances. And it is cute. If its someone else's child.

During the brief appearance in the morning service, Andrew chewed on his sweater, sprinkled an imaginary substance on the little girl next to him, and made less-than-intelligent faces at the spotlight (of course, considering past experiences, this was mild). When they were done, the parents were asked to stand so their child could find them; I let Doug stand for us.

I don't know if it was the long nap, the many "talks" we had, or just God's goodness, but he did wonderfully in the big concert. His clothes stayed on, he kept his hands more or less to himself, and even sang along with some of the songs.

Next year Stephen will be old enough to join the children's choir. Watch out - the Herdmans may have nothing on the Hamills!

In other news....

I lost a perfectly good Saturday (and necessary, considering the time of year) due to a bout with mastitis. Thankfully Doug was home and played dual roles while I alternated between the couch and bed, with several blankets in tow. I did manage to scramble outside when Graham called to say he was about a minute away from our house. We could hear them long before we saw them.


He was returning from a stint in Crawford, TX with "W." I don't really know what the boys thought. Stephen was screaming about his socks the whole time.

I'm feeling a lot better though I've been advised to take it easy for a few days. Easier said than done considering the mountains of laundry, the lack of food, and the boys who have currently escaped out the front door.

Christmas Traditions: Part Two - Movies

I will not advocate Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (I don't go for claymation), but here are some must-sees for me.

A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (this is actually Doug's top choice)
Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck (I love Uncle Felix)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (the boys were wrapping their blankets around chair legs yesterday pretending to decorate their trees)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas ("what a great grinchy trick")
Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, featuring the premiere of the song "White Christmas"
Sleepless in Seattle (of course this counts - "and coming up next, 'Jingle Bells' backwards")
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (I read the first two pages of the book today to the boys but thought better of it as it was describing the Herdman's burning down a shed)
The Gift of the Magi (keep the Kleenex handy)

I feel a wrapping marathon coming up!

Christmas Traditions: Part One - Books

What is Christmas without traditions? I plan to share a few old and new ones from our home.

Last year I wrapped 25 (give or take) Christmas-related books and cds, one to be opened each day. This year I modified the process to eliminate the wrapping and to regulate the choice of books (some like The Little Engine That Could and the Snowy Blowy Christmas and Franklin's Christmas Gift will be retired from circulation); nevertheless, we have some new choices each week. Here are some of our favorites:

Traditional Nativity Stories
The Stable Where Jesus Was Born by Rhonda Gowler Greene - this one is great for the youngest child
A Shepherd's Gift by Mary Calhoun
The Shepherd's Christmas Story by Dandi Daley Mackall
The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas - this is one of my favorites as the angel Gabriel comes to Mary wearing combat boots and later the blessed mother really does look great with child

Sentimental Christmas Tales
A Cowboy Christmas by Audrey Wood
The Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke
Papa Panov's Special Day adapted by Mig Holder from original story by Leo Tolstoy - my copy from childhood
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon
A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill - tear jerker
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski - another tear jerker
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston - another tear jerker

Santa
Best Christmas Book Ever by Richard Scarry - another from my childhood and a favorite of the boys
Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff



And just because I want an extra entry in the contest - click below to enter to win an ERGO (Expensive but Really GOod baby/kid toter):
http://www.alongfortheride.biz/Win-a-Free-Organic-Embroidered-Ergo-Baby-Carrier-s/49.htm

Call In Schmutzli

"Schmutzliis are nearly all brown: dressed in brown, with brown hair and beard, and a face darkened with lard and soot. He is St. Nicholas' helper in Switzerland. He carries a switch and sack, but no longer uses them. Children used to be told that Schmutzli would beat naughty children with the switch and carry them off in the sack to gobble them up in the woods. Today there is no more talk of beatings and such kidnappings."



My dear friend Suzy, who lives in Switzerland, passed along this information as well as the picture. Maybe there is something to the idea of rearranging the letters of SANTA to spell something more sinister. Whatever the case, I think even Andrew would prefer Alvin & the Chipmunks to these guys.

Holiday Parade

We braved the cold to enjoy the city's Holiday Starlight Parade last night. The boys wore their pjs as long underwear beneath a couple of layers of clothes and their coats and hats.

The turnout was lower than normal, more likely due to the fact that undefeated Alabama was playing Florida in the SEC tournament rather than due to the weather. Whatever the case, we had a good spot behind an SUV that blocked the wind.

Matthew was snug as a bug in a rug: turtleneck and shirt, fuzzy footed sleeper, jacket with hat & hood, fleece blanket, and my fleece jacket; so cozy he fell asleep.

We received candy in abundance and cookie cutters from Publix. There were no comments about the "princesses" but the boys were greatly impressed with the fire engines, police cars and ambulances. Most exciting of all was the extra large recovery truck that was towing a flat bed truck with people and presents. For a moment I was worried when I heard the aforementioned truck playing the Alvin & the Chipmunks song, but the thrill of seeing such an exciting vehicle counteracted hearing Dave's yell.

After an hour or so Stephen announced he was ready to go home.

Although they didn't hand out coffee and doughnuts like the Christmas parade in Knoxville, we all had a pretty good time.

What A Day!

It's 2:30 pm and I'm beat; and this after enjoying the "luxury" of sleeping until almost 6 am.

A quick phone call this morning turned into an hour+ conversation about a number of things (and it wasn't even with Clara!). Meanwhile the boys occupied themselves for a while with watching the vactor suck up leaves on one side of the house. This must have grown old because they attacked the Christmas tree with a vengeance and tore around the house like mad men.

We then went to Target to look for girly Christmas gifts for some friends. As we were walking in, a rather obese man was putting his things in his vehicle. Andrew loudly announces, "That man has been eating a lot!" which was quickly repeated by Stephen. Thankfully we were at such a distance that I don't think he heard, but I quickly stooped down and explained that we neither point at nor remark about people.

Inside we had the pleasure of seeing an elderly neighbor riding on a motorized cart. I feel like I need the motorized cart. Instead I had the pleasure of alternately pushing and pulling a over sized cart with the two sit/stand seats in the back while either holding Matthew or making sure he didn't topple out of the cart.

Our final stop was Hobby Lobby. As I was merrily checking out some clearance fabric, Stephen, unbeknownst to me, climbed onto a shelf upon which was standing several tri-fold room divider/screens. Suddenly his actions became clear as one hit me in the back of the head. A clerk quickly rushed to make sure I hadn't suffered any physical harm; I assured her that I hadn't though I couldn't guarantee that my son would enjoy the same fate. He rode in the cart for the rest of our short-lived trip.

On the way to the check-out another shopper was concerned that he might fall out and bump his head. I said, "Oh, that probably wouldn't bother him." "Oh, is he hard-headed?" she replied. I answered, "Don't let his cuteness fool you."

As I waited to pay the lady behind me struck up a conversation. Her daughter also has 3 boys rather close together. She commented, "You're brave to take them all out." It's either go crazy at home or have crazy shopping experiences; after these last few trips, however, I've decided it's better to live in a madhouse.

The Christmas Card

I guarantee that I am not the only one who sighs upon hearing these words, much less at the thought of all it entails.

A family picture was too much to ask. The attempts caused great distress for all involved and the results were less than satisfactory. Even pictures of the kids together were wild. Obviously these didn't make the cut.

Once it warmed up to almost 50 degrees yesterday afternoon, we headed out for a photo shoot. I set my expectations extremely low in the hopes that I might get a few decent shots. Low and behold I did.

Matthew was extremely cooperative, merrily playing with dried leaves.

Andrew fussed and made the worst "smiles" until I said, "Smile as if I told you you could have fruit treats" whereupon I got some natural smiles (all worth the sugary snacks that followed).

Stephen was last, but I was able to capture some very typical expressions.

Although these didn't make the card, I liked thought they captured the true spirit of the spirited youngsters I live with.

In case anyone cares, Sam's Club has excellent prices on their photo cards and the quality is great (even ready in an hour).

Once Was Lost But Now Am Found

Things are a bit livelier and noiser today. Our visit to Virginia for Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, and the boys are in detox this week. Not only did they have a plethora of snacks, sweets, and soda, Stephen also told me, "I didn't have to make my bed at Nana's house."

Here's another one for the label "religion." The boys were playing in the basement while I worked on the computer. Andrew came over and said, "Momma, I hear a voice from upstairs." Without missing a beat, Stephen declared, "It's God speaking." Andrew quickly agreed to the idea of "The Man Upstairs." What's more, Stephen thought he was saying, "Children obey your Mom & Dad."

I made the mistake of telling Andrew that we would decorate the Christmas tree on Sunday, and he assumed it would be first thing. Well, he had to endure both church and rest time, but eventually we dragged out all the decorations and got to work.

I love the freedom the children have in decorating the tree; no concern for what's "right" or "proper" - just what's most easily reached. Doug did offer a little help for those hard-to-reach-places.

Thankfully Matthew was asleep during all of this, but once he arose, he quickly inspected their handiwork.It didn't take long for us to realize this was not going to work (when Andrew was this age, we had a small table top tree so it wasn't an issue). It was too much trouble to move the assembled tree behind the couch so we settled for a barricade of miscellaneous furniture from the living room. It's hardly fit for a spread in Southern Living, but it serves the purpose.

The title of this post refers to two strange happenings today. It seems that Thomas the Tank Engine's friend Skarloey who has been MIA for quite a while was found in the toe of Andrew's stocking. Last week before we headed to Virginia I spent a tremendous amount of time searching for a brand new pair of leather slippers for Matthew that he had worn just a few times. I searched high and low but they were MIA as well. Today I discovered them in an empty coffee can on the back porch (go figure).

Ah, the Good Ol' Days

Now I remember what it was like when Andrew was a baby.

Life has been much different with just one kiddo in the house. A lot quieter for starters. Not that Matthew doesn't make noise, but his is of a softer & sweeter baby version; no loud shrieks or whining.

On Monday we tackled 7 loads of laundry, washing, folding, and putting them all away in just one day (that hasn't happened for quite a while). I managed to clean out 4 closets without the contents being carried off to some unknown corner of the house. Doug and I even enjoyed a movie without after-bedtime bathroom breaks and superfluous threats.

Yesterday was our Shopping Extravaganza. We put in almost a full day's work whittling away at our Christmas list. I had forgotten how pleasant it was to just take one non-talking, non-walking infant to a store. I was able to browse, make chit-chat with Matthew, and not feel completely stressed out. We had lunch in a real restaurant. It was so easy to place one child in a car seat that could be reached without having to crawl, stoop, or stretch. There were no bathroom breaks in which I had to juggle an infant on my hip, hold a toddler, and assure everyone that the toilet doesn't suck small children (of course, by about 4 pm I was about to pop and Matthew was a bit soggy). By the end of the day I was exhausted, however, by 8 pm and went to bed early.

Today we're doing cyber shopping (really, people, this is the way to go for the next month; Amazon.com has free shipping on orders over $25 and you can google "free shipping" or "coupon" for other retailers to find deals). We stopped by a couple of stores this morning for stocking stuffers, and there are a couple of things I have to pick up at the grocery store; but we are pretty much done. Yeah!

It's naptime and I have cookies to bake, walls to clean, and final lists to jot.

So Mom & Dad, are you up for this every year?! It sure gives me something to be thankful for!

"Leaved Behind"

The grandparents came and went this weekend, taking with them the two eldest children. Now the house is unusually quiet, there are no toys in the floor, and the toilet seat is free of urine. I suppose by tomorrow afternoon I will start to miss the messes and mayhem, but I have rather enjoyed this quiet afternoon and evening.


We played in the leaves on Saturday before most were crunched into mulch for the flower beds.


I think Matthew is looking forward to his only child status.


We keep trying for a group shot, but this is as good as it gets.

More Religious Conversations

Stephen: I am Peter and you should pray to idols.

Andrew: No, I am not praying to idols; I pray to God.

Stephen: You should pray to idols.

Andrew (very defiantly): No, we should not pray to idols. I only pray to God.

Stephen (in his most cheery voice): Okay, you can pray to God.


This conversation took place while Stephen was in his "boat" (the couch). Jesus (Andrew) then proceeded to "walk across the mountains and the water" to get in the boat. They set sail and talked with the dolphins until Peter fell out of the boat. Jesus sailed on to a new city with his disciples.

False Religion

I have posted before about the ways in which Bible stories tend to get twisted during the boys' play. They have rewritten David & Goliath, Jesus calming the storm, Jonah and the big fish along with many other stories; I have also seen evidence of the boys' applying these truths of Scripture and the catechism to their everyday lives.

Yesterday Stephen asked if God could see us? I replied, "Yes, God is everywhere and sees us at all times. He can see Nana & Papa in Virginia, Colin and Ms. Suzy in Switzerland, and Grandpa & Grandma in Mississippi." Without skipping a beat, Andrew added, "And He can see the model toy tow truck and cherry picker at Grandma & Grandpa's house."

Then there are other instances that leave me shaking my head.

Today I was praying with Andrew over some inappropriate behavior when Stephen snuck into the room to sit on a hamper. After we were done he declared, "I was sitting here pretending to be an idol."

Pushing Buttons

As Christmas approaches, I try to inconspicuously trash toy catalogs as they arrive, but Andrew snagged one which he has studied for hours each day. He often asks what he is going to get for Christmas or tells us what he would like (based on what cool thing he has just seen). Sometimes Stephen makes suggestions as in the following conversation:

Andrew: I would like (X) toy for Christmas.

Stephen: Do you wish for a doll for Christmas?

Andrew (very offended): Dolls are just for girls. I do not want a doll for Christmas! Dolls are not fun.

Free Fall Fun

Random Thoughts

Headlines

The big question of the morning was what would rank as the top headline for today: the election or the "other news."


I bet this announcement would have trumped the final election results.

Candy

There has been a request after every meal and/or accomplishment since Friday night. I'm tired of seeing the Easter/Halloween buckets full of candy. So I divied (sp?) up the remaining candy and each boy had 8 pieces. After they finished their lunches and asked for candy, I told them they could choose one or more pieces, but when it was gone, it was gone. No more.

Stephen ate 2 Dum-dums (he loves them).

Andrew, on the other hand, ate 1 Milky Way, 1 Twix, 3 Kit-Kats, 1 roll of gummy Life Savers, 1 bag of M&Ms and opened another before he declared he didn't feel well and wanted to lie down. Hmmm...imagine that.

Project

It's been one of those days that just hasn't played out as planned. The baby wouldn't nap, was fussy when awake, and finally fell asleep at 11 (I don't like these middle of the day naps). The big boys would not cooperate, constantly asked for food, ran around like maniacs.

I finally shooed them outside to play in the beautiful sunshine and spent way too much time making this little sign (rhyme courtesy of my mom - not a good idea for teaching conflict resolution but helpful in remembering how to set a table).


When I put them in their room to "rest," Stephen reappeared to poop (he was successful but I can't help but think it's just a ploy). When he returned, Andrew came out to do the same. The UPS man showed up and later a chimney sweep (we don't have a chimney but we're one of three houses on the corner with the number "600"). I gave up on resting and sent them out to watch the chimney sweep.

What I Want in a President


As everyone knows, it is an important day for the country. Here are some things I would like:

• Food prices set according to their nutritional value (i.e., milk would be cheaper than chips)
• Legalization of cell phone zappers to end annoying conversations in public settings
• Development of technology to create jeans that fit real people

Unfortunately, I don't think these issues are on the current candidates' platforms. Maybe in another 4 years...I'll contact Ashley Smith.

CostumReformaWeen Night

Whatever you want to call it, it is fun to dress up.

So much so that the boys arose at 5:30 am in celebration of the day. I'm not really sure if they thought we were dressing up so early, but they were so excited you would have thought it was Christmas. Thankfully the younger two napped, but Andrew was too wound up to be still. As the day progressed, the intensity rose until they were completely frantic at 5:30 pm.

Doug came home early to help assemble the fire engine. We ate, collected our gear, got the two firemen (costumes courtesy of Nana's yardsale shopping) and a dalmation (footed sleeper converted with $.78 of black fleece) dressed without mishap, and headed out the door. We only went to 8 houses, all of which we could see from our house, but the loot was outstanding (the advantage to having neighbors of a certain age who think your children are absolutely adorable).

Andrew was ready to turn around after the third house because he was so anxious to dive into the goods. Thankfully he held out because at the next to last house the lady said, "Are you sure you got enough?" to which he replied, "Well, really I didn't" and she added a couple of extra handfuls.

Fatigue was taking over as we headed towards home, but the sight of all the candy spread on the table caused a quick revival. He lit into the M&Ms first and then he announced, "Nobody has eaten such-and-such a candy" and ate it; this was repeated over and over. I don't even want to think about how much sugar he consumed. I figure the faster it's gone, the better.

Stephen was in hog-heaven driving his fire engine, complete with flashing light and bell. Andrew rode in the back, and the puppy alternately rode and was carried. Now I know that I am his mother, but I must say he was just adorable (as you can judge from the numerous pictures) and Matthew thoroughly enjoyed himself.

(Mom, take a look at the picture of witch candy in the slides. Andrew announced, "It is the runaway pickle dressed up for Halloween as a witch."

Hands Free

In the current era of multitasking, there is a big push for hands free devices, but there are tasks that do require use of at least one hand, if not both. Somehow in his 4 1/2 years, Andrew has yet to figure this out which leads to great frustration for both of us.

This occurred this morning after we practiced cutting and he had to be reminded that the paper needed to be held with one hand while the other operated the scissors (yes, it helps to have a firm grip on the scissors as well); and after I had to remind him that he may have to lay down his book in order to use both hands to undo his pants in order to use the potty; and after I had to explain that he might need to use his hands to unsnap and unzip his pants in order to pull them back up.

He uses up what little patience I have so if anyone knows of a course that teaches "Common Sense 101," please let me know.

Nine Months

Matthew passed the nine month mark yesterday, and at his checkup this morning he weighed a whopping 15 lb. 6 oz. (no heavyweights in this family). The doctor was not concerned at all about his growth, praise the Lord! Here's what the little guy has been doing the last month:

Admiring his handsome reflection

Watching the big boys play outside

Visiting Stephen's hairstylist

Crawling all over the house

Pulling up on anything that doesn't move

He has sprouted two bottom teeth and has "practiced with a string bean" (though he wasn't much impressed). Oatios and puffed rice are our staples, supplemented with cooked chicken, beef, sweet potato and apple.

A Year Ago

After Stephen was born, I started keeping a journal for each of the boys (although I've been less and less frequent with the entries since the arrival of #3). The other day I was looking at back at what was going on a year ago, and it turned out to be one of the most mischievous events in the Hamill home history (to date).

I was 20-some-odd weeks pregnant with Matthew, and we had been working on potty training with Andrew (age 3 1/2) for a number of months. He had this strange habit of waking early in the morning to do #2, so at 5 am I hear him walking down the hall to the bathroom. In my fatigued state, I didn't give it much thought, even though a few minutes later I heard Stephen (age 2) join him.

Now to a person of clear mind, fully awake and functional it would have caused instant alarm to know that two young boys were in the bathroom alone; but remember, I was pregnant, it was early in the morning, and we had been battling various viruses for nearly 6 weeks (and would continue to do so for 4 more months).

I was in and out of consciousness, and while I had a vague thought flitting through my head that someone should check on them, it took a while to will my body out of the warm bed. Upon the hearing the sound of splashing, however, I was instantly awake and bolting (as fast as a preggo body can go) down the hall.

Oh, the sight that met my eyes: Andrew had indeed relieved himself. Then someone had thrown the wet diaper he had had on all night into the potty. Then someone had cleaned off the bathroom counter (toothbrushes, toothpaste, nail clippers, hairbrush, clean diapers) and disposed of everything in the toilet. Then they both had scoops from the bath that they were using to scoop out toilet water into the tub.

All I could say was "Go to your room," and my dear husband cleaned up the mess. It was a day that will live in infamy for sure.

Baths & Bargains

Bathtime is always a fun activity to soothe the restless urchins, and I herded the boys into the tub yesterday at 4 pm. It is practically impossible to undress Matthew as the tub is filling because he kicks and squirms so much. He loves being with the big boys, and baths are just a hoot. There is hardly room to move with three bodies and numerous containers and toys, but they have a great time together.

I was also planning my great escape (another reason for the early bath) to check out the extra 25% off clearance prices at TJMaxx. With Doug at the helm, I abandoned ship. No great deals other than the 3 pairs of Tonka undies for Stephen's stocking that I got for $1.50; it was nice, however, to get out of the four walls of the house, by myself. I did snag a new pair of all purpose shoes as I retire my stinky Chacos for the season.

Does anyone know a way to remove the less-than-desirable odor of worn Chacos?

P.S. I was looking again at the slideshow and noticed no one had wet hair - it just occurred to me that the boys were so busy playing that I never got around to actually washing them. Oh, well!

Fish Really Stinks

For Matthew that is. I made the poor decision to let Matthew try my tilapia at lunch today. (Yes, I know that Stephen is not allowed fish even though he is not allergic to it; it is a precautionary move because fish is a common allergen). I figured it would be a great source of protein for the little guy, and he loved it; unfortunately it did not agree with him. Within minutes his lips swelled and his cheeks and chin turned red. He looks more distressed in the picture than he actually was; he didn't seemed very bothered. I quickly gave him Benedryl, called the doctor, and gave him some more.

While we waited for to leave for our appointment, Andrew vacuumed and Matthew and Stephen lent moral support. He did a pretty good job.

The allergist wasn't able to provide a lot more advice (I should have waited until he was 3 to offer fish) other than to cut out fish and nuts until we see a change in his irritated skin.

His 9 month appointment is coming up next week, and my mission is to bulk him up before then. Since protein shakes are out, we may have to resort to weight lifting. At 15 lb. 12 oz., he is on track to be labeled, "Failure to Thrive" and I will not have that happen again (how demoralizing does that sound?).

Ketner's Mill

We enjoyed a fun day in the Sequatchie Valley with our friends (and fellow King College alum) the Hendersons. Their son Drew is almost 3 and Nolan is just a week younger than Matthew. The big boys played with sticks and stones, and we all enjoyed delicious BBQ and kettle corn. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.

There is a growing phenomenon I have noticed in public gatherings of this sort: quite a large number of people carry their pets (all dogs that I saw) in front carriers, slings, and strollers. Even one cute little old man in bibbed overalls was pushing a pink stroller with a small white dog. It reminded me of P.D. James' Children of Men. Not only were these animals being toted; on more than one occasion I heard the doting of passerbys, "Oh, how sweet." This is a normal response to wee children, but animals?! Something strange is afoot.