Haul out the holly

None of what you are about to read is not shameless self-justification.  Then again, basically this entire blog is shameless, so no one should be like really surprised by that.

It's Christmas at our house.  I have a new pine-scented candle and Christmas carols are on nonstop (I recommend She & Him Holiday on Pandora.  All the classics, plus Zooey Deschanel should be canonized or something).  We already have our tickets to see The Nutcracker the night before Thanksgiving (what can I say, it was like $25 cheaper that way).  Last year, I might have cared.  This year I couldn't care less.  Or be more excited.  

I used to be one of those Scrooges that says Thanksgiving is an important holiday too, and just because it's not commercialized doesn't mean we can forget to be grateful for everything we have, and also Thanksgiving is a beautiful fall and harvest festival that's fun to celebrate on its own.  But, let's be real. It isn't.  It's not fun to celebrate it on its own.  There are no Thanksgiving carols.  And even here on the edge of the South where autumn lasts for like 2 full months, the leaves are almost done turning and it is getting downright cold and there is nothing autumn-y to celebrate anymore.  There is just the chance that it will snow tomorrow (!!!  I'm probably the only one in the greater D.C. area who is remotely happy about this) which obviously means it's time to get rid of the apple spice candle and start thinking in terms of twinkle lights.  Everywhere.  

It is winter.  Therefore, it is Christmas (I've found that this philosophy holds up slightly less well in February, but not for lack of trying on my part).   Additionally, wait till you hear the stellar justification I have for the gratitude part of the holiday. What better way to prepare children (and okay, ourselves) for Christmas than to remember to be grateful for the things we already have?  I know.  It's good, right?  We'll just make Thanksgiving part of the Christmas season.  No loss there.  

Plus, can we all agree that decorating your house for Thanksgiving (unless you live at Pottery Barn, in which case, can I move in with you?) usually looks super tacky, because turkeys are not beautiful either alive or dead (can we talk about that for a minute?  When was the last time you saw a wild turkey in real life?  They have an eerie ability to make those National Geographic pictures of birds of paradise seem not that outlandish at all.  Talk about FLK).

Besides, I need a little Christmas.  Between Colby spending lotsa time on applications and my failed attempt at NaNoWriMo (by attempt I mean all I did was sign up, but baby steps right?  Sorry Tina, I swear I had the best of intentions.  But nothing to say.  How's yours going?) and actually nothing is really wrong I just want to celebrate something.  

Anyway, we're probably just going out to eat on Thanksgiving anyway, so let's just skip the hype, shall we?  

In sum:  Besides the family and the food, Thanksgiving is not fun.  Okay, gratitude is good too I guess.  

But let's move on with Christmas.