Every year...

...every single year it happens to me. Without fail. I run out of lights for the tree. In the past I've been sure that the movers have swiped them. ;-) kidding! But how in the world can you have more than enough lights each year on your tree and yet, when it comes time to set it up the following year, about 5 strands have mysteriously vanished into thin air? I. DO. NOT. KNOW.

Last week I was at Walmart and saw white Christmas tree lights. I stopped. Stared at them. Debated. But I KNEW that I had bought about 3 extra strands last year that I didn't end up using (when I ran into this same dilemna!) and so I thought FOR SURE this year I'd be good. I left them there.

Max has been begging for 2 weeks now to get the Christmas stuff out. Monday night I caved and agreed to get the tree out and s-l-o-w-l-y begin the process. (This coming up weekend is typically when the tree gets set up. However, we're not going to be around so that's why I agreed to getting it out earlier.) That night we fluffed the tree. Yesterday while Max was at school I started the lighting process. We do it the old-fashioned way. None of that new-fangled pre-lit tree business here. After all, I have waaaaay to much invested in all these hundreds and hundreds of lights I have to keep buying every year!!

As you can see from the photo above, I only got so far. But interestingly enough, it's not because of "missing" lights. Oh, I have plenty of light strands sitting here on the table all right. They just don't work! Gah! What's up with that? Granted some of them could be up to 10 years old... (I have no way of knowing...they pretty much all look the same) and they have been bumped back and forth across the country which I'm sure doesn't help. But still!

Meanwhile, back to the other decorations. As I mentioned above, my little festive elf has been trying to coax me into getting the decorations out. It's too early. About a week ago though, I agreed to haul out the rubbermaid bins and the two of us would sort through them. I wanted to refresh my memory with what was all in them.

I got sidetracked with some phonecalls halfway through the process. A while later, the most unusual thing caught my eye...

"Someone" had taken it upon himself to start decorating. Check out that smooshed tree above! LOL! He just hauled it out of the bin and placed it there with the nutcracker. From across the room, I noticed a herd of deer grazing amongst the fall decor...

All over the house, Christmas objects had been randomly placed and situated... 

Look at the sign below....so funny where he put it!

Even his bedroom. He removed his pillows on his bed and told me he was planning to sleep on this little accent Christmas pillow (behind the bear) for the whole season. My word!

I had to break it to him gently that it was too early to get the decorations out and they must all go back in the bins. He wasn't happy. We compromised and I let him put out his little nativity...

And then we settled down with some hot chocolate and a rousing game of Monopoly Jr in which he soundly beat me.

I wanted to blog this little heart warmer for me remember and look back on down the road. You know, for when he's 15 and all wanting to have nothing to do with me and Christmas decorating!

schnigglefritz!

Well, I'm off to run some errands with my sister and see how much I can accomplish today. Keith is in Calgary and Vancouver this week. He flew into the winter wonderland of Alberta yesterday morning. Apparently, it's very COLD and SNOWY and SLIPPERY there. He's heading into the never-ending-rain of Vancouver later today. I think it will be a miracle if he survives this trip without getting sick. All those different climate changes in a short period of time, especially at this time of year. Never fails. ;-)