TRIM UP THE TREE

Fancy lunch

"Fancy lunch"

I know I was just talking about not being ready because of the whole Christmas card thing, but I think I can honestly say that I've never been so far ahead on my Christmas preparations in my whole dang life. I have all the presents I'm buying. Michael is in charge of getting a few other things for the Cabbage. I have wrapping paper. I have ribbon. I have candy for stockings (except for one last candy item for Michael; he likes sixlets; they're his favorite; he's from the past). I have knew lights for the tree. I pulled that plan for the Christmas card out of my sleeve and last night Christmas cards were ordered. I have material to make stockings for Josephine and Albus. I HAVE ALL THE THINGS!!! I AM WINNING AT CHRISTMAS!!!

Except. None of those presents are wrapped. Some of them haven't even shown up yet. All of the Christmas decorations are still in the basement. The Cabbage looked around here on Saturday and said "You don't have no Christmas up in here any where." (Right now, grammar is the least of our problems.) Stocking are hung no where with care. In fact, I bought a box of sticky wall hooks for the stockings two weeks ago and I have no clue where I put them. It's possible I threw them away now that I'm really thinking hard about it. The sewing machine is still sitting in the garage covered in dust and cobwebs. Christmas cards don't get here until the eleventh (fingers crossed). I AM LOSING AT CHRISTMAS!!! 

OK. Maybe I'm not losing at Christmas. I may have just fallen for that commercial Christmas rush trap. Halloween wasn't even close to being over when our local Target cleared an isle for Christmas decorations. The spiders weren't even cold on their webs and had to stare down dancing elves with their beady little eyes. Weeks before Thanksgiving, I was flooded with promotions for pre-black Friday sales. "Get 'em now! While supplies last!" People were talking about decorating trees on Thanksgiving day making me beg the question of "of what kind of drugs are you on that gives you enough energy to cook and eat a turkey and put up a Christmas tree?!?" I have attended three Christmas parties all in the first week of December. The Cabbage has seen Santa twice. The poor kid had no idea what she wanted for Christmas because she hasn't even had time to contemplate it. Both Santas told her that this was OK. She could just email them later. Email Santa. Santa doesn't even have time for regular old mail anymore. 

I get that the last few months of the year tend to fly by, but do we have to shove them forward? Am I the only one hearing those outside voices telling me to hurry up and get all of the things done right this second? Sure, every one needs a little Christmas, but does it all really have to happen "right this very minute"? I am telling those voices to just shut it. I want to savor my Christmas. I want to savor this last month of the year. I want to take a moment to actually look at the lights, to listen to the music, to smell the spruce (and then sneeze uncontrollably because I am allergic to firs). So what if my Christmas tree doesn't make it up until December 12th. The important thing is that I am putting up a tree before Christmas day. I am right on track for Christmas. 

Really, I'm saying all of this and procrastinating because I'm super nervous about that dog/cat/tree equation.