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.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Janie, Have Tom call me :) LOL Get moving...it is almost Thanksgiving!!

Sheri, I win take photos, but it really looks better in person. At least that is what I am telling myself. It kind of looks like Santa threw up :)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I know it is going to be beautiful.  May we please see some photos when you are all finished?

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

So that's where you've been! Decorating has been in the back of my mind lately. I need a photo for the Christmas card and Katie has been saying she needs the tree up so she can unload her pile of gifts somewhere other than her room. She's an early shopper. You may just have inspired me to get moving. Could you sing your song to Tom?! Oh I just saw the lighted doodle outdoor decoration at HD, we NEED this!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Camilla, We would have a ball hitting up those stores after Christmas. I love the day after Christmas almost as much as Christmas :) Someday....you will get there! LOL

Bonnie, LOL...I know it would be easier not to do it, but I just can't. Even with all his complaining, my DH loves it when it is all up. Believe it or not, I have toned it down, too. LOL

Nancy, YES to the shopping :) Luckily, both my girls love Christmas as much as I do. I think they will give all my stuff a good home...I hope. LOL

[Camilla and Darwin]

Ha, I love this so much! The only thing saving DH at this point is that our apartment is too small to have more than one tree - so I only have 3 Christmas boxes thus far - and it was all put up by the time he finished his afternoon nap. I aspire to have as much Christmas stuff as you someday, I suppose I should start hitting those after Christmas clearance sales!

[Bonnie and Kona]

Laurie, I am so impressed that you have the energy to do this. I do not mind putting up the decorations. I just hate taking them down with a passion. I have reduced the chaos significantly. I'm quite surprised that Fudge and Vern even get into the chaos against you. That is truly heartbreaking. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks for kicking off our holiday spirit!  None of my kids is Christmasy so my only hope is that my granddaughter is - who else will there be to inherit all the boxes and boxes of 'stuff.'  Want to go shopping just to see what is new?