That Time of Year Again!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I haven’t been on DK much lately, because I am up to my ears in Christmas decorations. Everywhere I look in my house, I see boxes, Santas, angels, gingerbread, or snowmen. It appears as if I have never walked into a Christmas shop without saying to myself, “I need one of everything!”  For some odd reason, all this chaos and clutter only makes me want to go out and see what else is new for Christmas. On Saturday, Hayley and I went to a Hallmark Open House for the Holidays.  I know many people feel it is too soon to start thinking about Christmas, but in our house getting our Christmas stuff up usually happens much sooner than the second weekend of November.  It just makes sense to me since I get company for Thanksgiving and don’t want to spend December working hard to get all of our Christmas up only to take it down a few weeks later.  I wish I could say I just put up one tree and that is that, but that would be a true travesty and a slap in the face to all the Holiday crap I have accumulated over the years.  We are a very traditional family, even though our traditions are not exactly the same as those you see on the Hallmark channel.

 

Traditionally, on the day we get our Christmas decorations down, things go from happy to mad rather quickly.  Usually, I wake up and turn to John and say, “today is the day we get our decorations down,” and he adopts what I like to call his “deer in the headlights” look and says, “no, it isn’t.” 

I always try to warn him the week before, but he still insists on pretending this is the first he has heard of any of this stuff.  This step normally gets repeated several times, before he realizes I am not going to take no for an answer.  At this point, he moves to his “delay tactics” and begins to sip his coffee so slowly that there is no possible way when he gets to the bottom of the cup it is still warm.  I do have to give him credit for his acting abilities as he makes several half-hearted, exaggerated, attempts at blowing on it in a desperate attempt to convince me he can’t be rushed when it comes to his hot coffee.  Sometimes, I say something witty like, “and the Oscar goes to John for his role in pretending Some Like it Hot,” and sometimes I cut to the chase and yell, “MOVE IT!! Your coffee break is over!” 

 

Next, we head for the garage and despite the reminders I have issued throughout the week, it is at that moment when he realizes the garage needs to be organized and swept before he can start bringing any boxes down.  This is just another delay tactic in my book and traditionally it is at this point that I start threatening in a holiday kind of way….”get up in the attic now and start handing down boxes, or I’m going to turn two Christmas balls black and blue.”  Sometimes, if I can locate my Elf microphone I even sing a little, made-up ditty… “Deck the halls with slowpoke’s  balls…fa la la la la la la la la….tis the season right after Fall…fa la la la la la la la la…the next time “hurry up” is spoken…fa la la la la la la la la….an angry nutcracker will be awoken…fa la la la la la la la la!” Keep in mind the lyrics change from year to year, but almost always have nuts and balls mentioned in some threatening way. The response from John and Hayley traditionally remains the same. I usually get one “mom, you are so gross,” and one “I hate Christmas!”

 

The dogs have their own traditions on this day.  The schedule I adhere to with my dog’s works against me on this day.  Right about the time we usually go on our daily walk, Vern starts reminding me that I am forgetting something.  His reminders are not all that subtle.  He either parks his 100 pound self directly in my path, stares at me with a pathetic look on his face, or engages Fudge in a game of “Let’s try and make mom drop this box,” as the two of them run around and around.  They like to include the area directly in front of me or behind me in their loop as I struggle to balance the boxes I am carrying and remain upright, while avoiding the wrestling duo. 

Fudge is much more agreeable to rescheduling our walk, but even she started digging huge holes throughout the yard since she realized my attention was focused elsewhere.  Either that, or she decided burying some of the boxes would speed up the process next year. Traditionally, Hayley complains about having to help and this year, I think it was right about the time she said, “suck it up, it’s Christmas,” when I thought my back had gone out, that I asked if she would mind taking the dogs in the car and run an errand.  Mind you, it was only a trip to the drive-in at Dunkin Donuts, but it allowed me about an hour of silence and a clear shot to the house.  It would have been even better if she had gone to the Dunkin Donuts I recommended in a neighboring State.  It also made all of us laugh as Fudge plastered her face against the back window in a desperate attempt to let me know that she really didn’t like riding in a car with Hayley driving and she would stop digging if I would just let her out.  It tugged at my heart just a little to say, “MOVE IT, HAYLEY! I don’t want to look at Fudge’s sad face anymore.”

 

The absolute best part of this day is traditionally, I look around at all the chaos in my house and putter around for a bit, and then usually turn to Hayley or John and say, “who wants to go shopping with me and see what new Christmas stuff is out this year?” Even though they know it is just going to be one more box to drag down next year, Hayley almost always goes along for the ride.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

It seems like you just got done putting that stuff away!!!! LOL have fun decorating.

Lisa-we saw that dog at Home Depot and really wanted to get it-wasn't sure how it would hold up to the Wisconsin weather though for the cost. Still working on hubby for this. I'm glad Daisy has the coolest friend ever!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lisa, LOL about Daisy. She has never had any competition before :) Merry Christmas, Daisy, we bought you a friend :)

Elizabeth, YAY. You can never have too much Christmas :)

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Daisy is not so sure about our new Doodle Dog, she doesn't understand why he has to be so big....think Vern to Fudge ratio.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Tis the season here too!  And I too love to see what other kinds of Christmas crap decorations might be new other there to add to my many boxes that I already have...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lisa, I am so glad to see margarine won out over butter :) Leave your poor neighbor alone :) As I always say, "if you can't beat em', join em' "

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Sine we live in a Ranch Condo connected to another we have strict rules about no lights up until the "month of the holiday"  why else would I be on the board but to get away with follow the rules. I did not have the heart to tell my wonderful neighbors, who actually take Daisy out every day for me, to take down the lights on our connected fronts of the house. The only Conversation we had that day was when I called her from Walmart to ask the verify the size of the bulb to make sure they matched the ones on the top. They did it on a nice warm day and promised to not turn them on yet!

Since it will be nice again today the side of my house will be joining the party.
I love Christmas and everything about it. We use a real tree but that won't stop me from doing the rest.

Thanks for sharing Laurie I am off to the store for margarine!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Donna, Your DH will never know :) Go get that lighted Doodle!!

Cheryl, I am so lucky. My sister always does Thanksgiving. It is her thing....thankfully :) I would not like to do two Holidays at once. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great Chanukah, too!!

Doris, Deranged?? You know I am completely normal :) LOL Don't tempt me about those suits :) Maybe FL needs a Mrs. Claus outfit.

Karen, I bought a Hallmark movie and two Reindeer hats :) LOL

Sheila, Of course there are....John and I love to play dress up. LOL I have anger issues, too, but I still go shopping.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Linda, Don't listen to your DH :) LOL It sounds like a new, fun tradition to me. Thank you!!

Joanne, Thank you so much!! Awww....sometimes, I want Santa to bring me a 6 month old Doodle :) It will be a great Christmas!

DJ, Sure...let me find my elf microphone first :)

Joanne, Everything John and I do together is so romantic...LOL :) NOT It never changes from year to year.

Leslie, I tried to get you and your mom to help. I said I would pay you :) I am down from 7 trees to 3 decorated ones.

Jane, LOL....John would say I am more than slightly deranged.

F, You are rubbing off on people :) John probably wishes he could move in with you from October-January.

Cheryl, This is the first year Megan is not coming home :( I wish I would hear "Surprise" on Christmas morning. We are going to Skype...big deal...LOL! I love the shopping part, too. Fudge can be so naughty when I am occupied that I guess I thought it was a bit of a payback :)

Lonnie, I am glad to see you get into the spirit just like me. We do very little outside. We are worn out from all the inside. LOL I do have a couple of things out. I used to do all the holidays, now it is just Christmas decorating. BTW, Hayley is MEAN to her mom on decorating day...did you read how she said to suck it up :)

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Laurie ~ I always get a chuckle out your blogs.  Thank you for that!  This will be the first year that our tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving and I have heard some grumblings from DH (already proscrastinating)!  This will be the start of a new tradition in our family and whoever is visiting for Thanksgiving will be helping decorate for Christmas. I am so looking forward to family, good food, wine and song!!   

[Joanne and Preston]

Laurie,  I just love your blogs. You make a bad day better.  I don' t know how this Christmas is going to be with a 6 mon. doodle who loves to put everything in his mouth.