colours of the season

(shot with the iPhone, then heavily toasted in PhotoToaster)

Hullo, reader.  Happy Sunday.  Monday, by the time you read this?  A few more days and American Thanksgiving will be behind us, and we’ll retire the colors of autumn for the color of money – I mean Christmas.  I’m not going to go all pious on you – I love Christmas.  Love it love it.  Family, food, festivities, and gifts.  Giving and receiving.  It’s a way to show people that you’re thinking about them, and you thought they might enjoy this little doodad.  Do you need a particular time of year to do that?  Of course not.  But it’s most fun when everyone’s in the same groove.

And this will be little Peppermint’s first Christmas.  That’s super fun.  For her it will probably mean a lot of people and excitement, probably getting passed around, probably getting her entire schedule messed up.  But it’s super fun for us parent folk.  I remember meeting my youngest nephew Wyatt when he was just three months old not so many Christmasses ago (time frickin flies).  We had a good moment of communion.  This year it’s Avery’s turn to make that magic happen with the fam.

Today she decided to tease me by saying quite clearly, “daddy”.  You know I had that moment – just a moment – where I knew with certainty that she is that smart, and by Christmas she’d be singing carols.  Then I came back down to Earth and cursed the million monkeys and the million typewriters.  <- does anyone get that reference?  Did that joke land?  It’s a play on randomness.  Never mind.  I won’t quit my day job for a standup career quite yet.

Anyway, Marjorie doesn’t want to decorate until December 1.  And that would totally be me, ordinarily.  But I am a little sillier than usual this year.  For some reason.  And my excuse is that we’ll be gone for half of it, so if we want to get the most value out of our decorating effort here then it stands to reason we should do it sooner, right?  Amiright?  I may have to lead this charge under cover of night.  Then blame the elves.

That reminds me – hey Robyn – can you send me a pic of your Xmas Elf?  I’ve never met the fellow, but I love his moxie.  I think we will have a similar manifestation.  Maybe starting next year.  That’s not too soon, is it?  For a Christmas Elf to start staking out a place on Santa’s behalf, to make sure children are behaving?

See?  Christmas is so fun.  And now I have a daughter!  Double fun times five!

Someone will point out that it’s only mid-November.  Possibly they will say I have been suckered by the commercial holiday rotation schedule.  Well… boo.  If I’ve got enough spirit for six weeks, then lemme spirit my face off.  Interesting visual.  Did you go to 1) booze, 2) wrathful ghosts, or 3) amazing magical illusion?

Ok, first we do 2nd Thanksgiving (we get to do that as Canadians in Americaland).  After that, we can negotiate when to put the lights up.  Maybe I can speed things along with promises of mistletoe.  Healthful benefits and such.  Rowr.

Happy Monday, indeed.