Christmas Shopping

This year Emily decided to join Mom and I on our Nashville Christmas shopping trip and my boys opted out.  We took the plunge on Black Friday and headed to Nashville from Paris - Mom, Emily, Boyd and me.  My boys headed to Martin with Travis for a fun weekend at Papa D and Judy's.  I know there are pictures from their weekend that Travis will have to add, but most of my pictures involve the real baby boy on his first real shopping trip.  Mom and I did a little Thanksgiving shopping at Wal Mart the night before.  It was an experience to say the least, but Mom got a lot of great deals, so it was worth the trouble.  We got a hotel close to Cool Springs Galleria and spent most of Friday and Saturday shopping.  To say the least, we wore this kid out!

But he was bright and cheerful the next morning at breakfast!

Emily would have been mortified if this scene had unfolded with me and one of my boys, but when you become a mom yourself, you do what you've got to do and changing your baby in a dirty mall bathroom is not an option!

Probably the best part of the trip was Baby Boyd meeting Santa for the first time and what a great Santa this was.

 I mean seriously, does he not look like the real thing?

 Hold on, Santa, don't get up with me!

That's good, sit back down so I can check you out.

Ooh, his outfit is soft!

Does it get any cuter than this?  I think this is right after Santa called me Grandma.  Yep, he thought I was the kid's granny.  Seriously?

It was an awesome trip that didn't lack for some stress, but what shopping trip isn't a little stressful.  For my memory's sake, I have to mention a couple of funnies.  Emily is easily embarrassed and Mom and I kind of have fun with this at times.  Poor Mom was exhausted.  After a couple of days cooking her Thanksgiving feast, staying out half of Thanksgiving night shopping for deals, and then Boyd's extra early wake up call on Black Friday at 5:30 am (yes, the kid was bouncing away in my parents' den Friday morning while we all cooed and clapped), she barely knew her own name, but this lady can shop under any circumstances!  While looking at purses for Emily and I, Mom proudly exclaimed "Look at this Big Bubba (Big Buddha) purse on sale for $38!" Emily high-tailed it away from her hiding among the purses while I fell in the floor laughing and telling Mom the brand was "Big Buddha".  Next she called a BCBG purse BCGG and then we both chased Emily through the purses yelling "Hey Em!  Any idea where all the Big Bubba purses are?" That's how we girls have fun with baby sister.  I already can't wait for next year!  Although I missed my kids, it was a fun weekend off for me.