The Early Arrival of Christmas in Our Home

I'm starting Christmas festivities a little earlier than usual this year. I normally have a strict day-after-Thanksgiving start date in our home, but this year I'm bending my rules a little bit. I haven't started decorating, and I probably won't until Thanksgiving is over, but I am easing some things in. It all started two weeks ago when we took a little family field trip into Lowe's and Ellie about lost her mind in the Christmas department. LOST. HER. MIND. She doesn't really remember Christmas last year and there were all these trees and twinkling lights. And don't even get her started on the giant, inflatable yard decor. Y'all.

She looked up and saw Snoopy in a helicopter and started yelling at the top of her lungs "LOOK! LOOK! HEDICOPPER!" really loudly. Like, we were the spectacle of the Lowe's. Then, a 9ft. tall giant inflatable teddy bear. "TEDDY BEAR, MOMMY! DADDY! LOOK! BEAR!"

And then.

AND THEN.

She saw the Mickey & Minnie inflatable.

It wasn't this exact image, but you get the idea. I wish I could accurately describe to y'all how much my child lost her ever loving marbles in the Lowe's. Screaming, y'all. SCREAMING. "MICKEY MINNIE! OH! OH HI MICKEY MINNIE!" Over and over again. I turned to Grant and said "Why would we ever need to take her to Disney World? We can just come to Lowe's."

Grant then turned to his daughter and said "Ellie... this is called Disney World. You are at Disney World right now."

Anyways, we had to pull her away to go to other departments in the Lowe's store and she was not happy about that AT ALL and sobbed and screamed and threw a giant toddler hissy fit. It was a really special time, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Anyways, I know she is going to love Christmas this year. She's been watching some Christmas movies that I've rented from Amazon Prime and she is loving it all. I love that she's hearing these songs for the first time and loving them. I've also ordered her a nativity set and a little toddler Advent calendar to go through once Thanksgiving passes. Like I said, I usually don't start things this early, but in a way I feel like this is her first Christmas and I don't feel like 25 days is enough time for her to watch all the Christmas specials she is required to watch and get the full Christmas story and experience. So, Christmas has come into our home. In small increments, but it's coming.

I'm loving that the weather is getting chillier and I'm drinking lots of hot coffee and making chili and stews and pretending like I live in the tundra of the North. It never hurts to use your imagination.

Also, this has nothing to do with anything I just wrote about, but I reaaallly love this cover by Sara Bareilles and feel like it needs to be shared. So I'm sharing it. Because it's my blog and I can share what I want to.

So just play that 14 times and tell me you aren't in some kind of zen, relaxed, sip coffee and ponder life kind of moods. The girl is talented. Give her all of the Grammys.