But my children are working on making inside, delightful. Similar to many big-box discounters and department stores, they have jumped both feet in to the holiday season (shortly after Halloween) by blasting Christmas music and pulling out all the Christmas books. Ironically, they also greet every single display of Christmas decorations with shouts of “It’s not even Christmas yet”.
I remember in college one of my friends instituted a “No holiday tunes until after Thanksgiving” rule, to combat a 24 hour loop of “Carpenters Christmas Portrait”. I’ve tried to live by that rule for decorating and music etc myself–though just, as the last couple years, having been stuck without extended family, I’ve turned Black Friday into Decorating Friday here and put everything up on that day. What I like about it is that then I can enjoy everything for the whole pre-Christmas season and then two days after Christmas, when I’m OVER IT, I can pull it all down and put it away having enjoyed it for a while.
As the news is so dreary and depressing, it’s fun to have something else to focus on. I haven’t started baking yet but that’s surely around the corner. The kids are making their lists–one wants only scissors from Santa. We told her she was too little and she said “But I won’t swallow them”. So now that’s all she’s asking for.
It’s definitely escapism as I’ve completed my holiday shopping but can’t commit to doing anything else “real” on my to-do list but as I often remind myself in being a mom it’s just about getting through the days smiling, sometimes–so I’m not swallowing my scissors and baking away and forgetting about the bad economy, for a bit. Maybe by the time I tune back in it will all be better.
