Earlier every year

Don’t hate me because I’m festive.

I climbed up into the attic yesterday and dug out our Christmas decorations. I don’t go quite as crazy with it as I used to, but I do make sure our little house’s walls are nicely decked for the holidays.

I have become one of the people I once scorned. In the BC (before children) years, we bought a tree on the 21st or 22nd. It was the last thing to go up. That was the way we wanted it. I shook my head in disdain when we drove by homes with their colorful Christmas trees peeking through their curtains in November.

Now, twelve years, five children and more stressful Decembers than ‘peaceful’ ones later, I want my decorations finished by the end of November. Last year I was particularly unprepared for all that Christmas entails and I have purposed in my heart to avoid putting myself and my family through that ever again. Ever.

So most of my decorations are up and Christmas is still over a month away. The tree will still be the last to go up, but it will be happening on November 22 instead of December 22. And my kids will do it all while I sit on the couch and sip orange spiced coffee (put a cinnamon stick, broken in half, and about 1 tbsp. grated orange rind in with your coffee in your filter and you will have a delightful treat). Works for me. (Hey! Great idea for WFMW tomorrow!) I’m even finishing up the gift packages for far away relatives and have every reason to believe they will be mailed before the end of the month. Christmas packages mailed in November! My relatives will be shocked, not only that they heard from me, but that they heard from me before a big event. Wonders never cease.

I’m actually looking forward to December. With the big stuff out of the way, there can’t be anything else to stress about, right? Except how much smoked salmon I can afford. I think that’s the kind of stress I want this Christmas.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Let the festivities commence!

Labels: Christmas