The clock is ticking away. We've just about made it through "Black Friday" without setting foot in a single retail establishment. It's bad enough that the true reason for Christmas gets buried under piles of presents. I refuse to lose Thanksgiving in the mad dash for doorbuster deals. Not at 5 a.m., and certainly not at midnight.
Soap box aside, we had a great day after Thanksgiving. We spent it decorating, inside and out, and are now just a Christmas tree away from having fully decked halls.
Sydney was ecstatic to help. Remembering how we did it last year, she repeatedly asked, "Can I decorate my table?" Out came the Playmobil nativity scene, plus Santa and his sleigh. Noting Gus in his kennel in the background, it scares me to think what these pieces will look like one month from now.
"I'm a great decorator!" She repeatedly told me. The nativity scene is about the only thing she wanted in the same place as last year. Everything else she just wanted in her room. For instance, the snowflakes that I hang from the lights above my bathroom mirror each year... Sydney found a much better spot for them.
And then there's the blessed dog that barks the tune to Jingle Bells. Sydney couldn't wait to set him rocking and barking. How I hate that dog. I wonder if I could encourage a certain other dog to show him some love. Hmmmm...
AJ couldn't resist either. The goofy pose, by the way, is AJ's impression of the Grinch riding in the sleigh pulled by the small dog.
When he wasn't being the Grinch, AJ was one Wild elf!
It's always so fun to pull out and dig through the decorations each year. I love that the kids' excitement mirrors my own. It seems to even have inspired Jeff this year, who helped me hang lights on the house this year. For the first time ever I have lights hanging from the roof! (And if you know the steep pitch of our roof, you know this was no simple task.) And I guessed the right number of strings to buy. On the first try.
Once the roof was done, I moved on to the easier-to-reach spots to light. It was then I discovered the consequences of last spring's careless storing of lights. The two strings of icicle lights that typically hang on the front porch railing - both are dead. And the snowflake lights I got last year to line Sydney's window - they don't work anymore either. I was tempted to run to the store and replace them, but then remembered my Black Friday boycott.
I can fix it tomorrow. So if you see someone outside rehanging lights in the middle of a snowstorm, you'll know who, and you'll know why.
Your mother and dad never left the house, either. (Well, unless you count Dad taking Dudley for his walk, letting Dudley outside, and feeding the birds on our deck.) Guess I should say we didn't leave the neighborhood. Nope, I won't go near a store on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I don't even like shopping on weekends for the rest of the season. Just too many people and cars. I can't imagine it will be too bad at CUB tomorrow. I need a couple of things, so we'll go there.
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