mainly because I was bored (the tree is up)

 Fifteen days until it's that day.

I am not exactly in Christmas mode, but because I have little kids about I dug out our decorations and artificial tree (like I'm actually going to pay for a real tree that will probably make me sneeze) and set it up. Last year I couldn't find our star and instead of buying a new one (they were ugly) my mom gave me a thirty year old foil star I could use. I don't know what happened but I took it out of its box and it doesn't look so good. So... we are starless until I find some spare change for a new one. (I don't like buying decorations... I use the same ornaments I bought on Black Friday in 2004 and the tree is 4 years old... still looking good, too.) Plus, for some reason people give us ornaments every year for the kids so our tree does get new stuff.

I have one Christmas item from my childhood. It's a wooden Santa sleigh that plays "Santa Claus is coming to town". Neat story on my acquirement of the little treasure. I don't know how old I was maybe five or six. My dad and I were driving back from town (around Christmas time) when he spotted a box in the road, he stopped and picked it up and we took it home. (It was not uncommon for my dad to see something in the ditch or side of the road and turn around to see if it was anything interesting.) There was a phone number somewhere in or on the box (I know we opened it) and we informed the people we had found their box of Santa sleighs and when they came to pick it up they let me choose one to keep since we had been so kind. I have cherished it ever since and I love having that memory.

I put it on the piano that is in our dining room. The kids love having me wind it up so they can listen to it play. (Santa's arm, the toys in the back and the reindeer's head and leg move up and down... very cute.)

The boys helped me set up and decorate the tree. When Rose woke up she said, What's that? (hey, she can say Christmas now!) Here's how her reaction went

If you look closely you'll see she's crossing her fingers... making a wish?

She was just a tiny bit excited. (that picture makes me so flippin' happy!)

Yesterday was such a nice day. It was cold, but the sun was shining so it didn't feel too bad. We walked to the stock tanks behind the house and there's water! Not a lot, but we have had some rain over the past month so they aren't bone dry anymore.

We had a lot of fun and for about 30 minutes I wasn't saying:

Don't touch the tree.
STOP touching the tree!
Do NOT crawl under the tree!!
Get that ornament OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!
I'M GOING TO TAKE IT DOWN IF YOU TOUCH IT ONE MORE TIME!

Because I did say all of those things (on shuffle/repeat) for thirty minutes before bedtime.

(I don't regret putting the tree up early at. all.)

Fifteen days, right? And then it's coming down immediately. 

(guess what? I've noticed they aren't as tempted to touch if I keep the lights off... Perhaps the tree has a chance to stay up after all.)