Home for the Holidays!

Regular readers might notice a leaner blog season as we roll into Christmas and New Year's. I'm just giddy from the fact that I don't have to drive 1,200 miles with two kids to plod across three states to visit our families in New Mexico. I love the season there, but in our eight years as SoCal residents, we have yet to experience a Los Angeles Christmas. 

But this is our year! My mom and sister are here and will be ready to pop up after Santa drops down the chimney. Then Steve's dad, three brothers, two sisters-in-law and a two nephews (one with a wife, the other with a girlfriend) will arrive to experience a Tournament of Roses New Year's. I know there will be crowds and traffic and craziness, but I'm excited about seeing a parade that I used to watch from my couch as a kid (OK, and as an adult). 

Among my parent peers, I'm in the minority – but I can't help it; I still love parades. Whether they're short, elaborate or so packed with people you can see nary a horse nor antique car, I clamber for a view. I even get all misty at the sound of a marching band, no matter how many times I've heard the trombones struggle through "Smoke on the Water" or toot out "Sleigh Ride" over and over.

As a youngster, I could only dream about seeing the rose-petal covered floats up close; my kids will get to see it as it should be seen – live and surrounded by crowds of people!