And Christmas in July is just around the corner!!!!

Once upon a time, not so long ago, all of the above would be used to describe me.

I have;
Ten trees, each a different theme.
A Christmas village that requires Don to build a platform for it.
Show stockings to match one of my trees – with faux wrapped presents to match.
Vast collection of snow globes.
Decorative pillows that leave you with nowhere to sit.
Singing and dancing stuffies.
Christmas bedding – but it gets pulled off the bed to sleep. It is just “show” bedding (my mom made it for me).
Art that replaces family photos for the season.
Christmas cards from previous years that I framed. Which I can tell you who they came from without seeing the signature inside.
A (not so) ugly Christmas sweater for everyday in December.

My sister would describe my house at Christmas time “Looks like Santa threw up in here.” She meant it as an insult, I took it as a compliment.

I would be shopping the Boxing Day sales for the start of next years themed tree. I would start buying gifts immediately, I would see the perfect trinket, bob-bit or doo-dad for someone and stash it away. Sometimes I would forget what I bought and it would be a pleasant surprise in October when I took inventory.

I spent 25 + years being a Christmas Nut that starts decorating the day after Remembrance Day, with little to no help (Don will help bring the bins up from storage and take them back down). I loved going to the mall during peak holiday season. Not to shop, but to people watch. To hear the various Christmas carols coming from the stores, watch people hustle and bustle as if it was 5 pm Christmas Eve and the stores were closing and they didn’t have the perfect gift. Watching the kiddos visit the mall Santa and smiling to myself with his exuberant HO-HO-HOs.

In recent years, I go through the motions because it is expected of me. When Yeti died November 25, 2023 my Christmas spirit went with him. If my house hadn’t already been decorated, the trees would have never come out of storage.

Christmas 2024 Don and I took Dharma and her family to Disney so I could avoid all the holiday hub-bub. Yes, you read that right. I took my family to the happiest place on earth to get away from celebrating Christmas. Did it work? Sort of. Made me wish I could afford to do it every year. Not necessarily Disney, just a trip to avoid the Christmas season.

I have six months to hype myself up to be Christmas People. Six months to prepare myself to be physically and mentally exhausted from bringing the 50 + totes from storage and setting it all up, to tear it all done a month later.

Some would ask me “Why do it?” Simple. I have H who loves everything Christmas as I once did. Dharma would tell me “You created the Christmas Monster, you can’t stop now.” And Don would say “You have spent a hell of a lot of money on all this shit, it goes up until H outgrows it.”

I will spend the next six months watching TikTok’s of nostalgic Christmas videos, watch Hallmarks Christmas in July movies while having Cindy Loo-Who in my head singing “Where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you” all so H doesn’t lose her Christmas People vibe, while secretly hoping my vibe returns with the same jolly cheer as a mall Santa’s HO-HO-HO.

🎄🎅🏻🤶🏻🎁

The next few conversations are from when Don and I took H to British Colombia to visit Dons dad in May….

While we were in British Columbia we went up Grouse Mountain to walk around and see the bears. H spotted the bear first! Having a bath!

While we were walking around I was explaining to H that the mountain was so high we were in the clouds.
H – Are we high enough to be in heaven and see Macchiato?

It was really hard telling her that we can’t visit heaven, but if she talked to Macchiato, Macchi can hear her. 

Every morning on my drive to take H to school my sister, Stephanie calls to chat with H and me. Mostly H but once she’s at school I get to chat with my sister. One morning as I was driving and Stephanie was making her way out the door to go to work –

Stephanie – Alexa turn down the music.…. ALEXA turn volume down two. ALEXA! PLEASE turn the music done.
Me – Alexa listens well.
Stephanie – Alexa turn the music down. She is not listening today.
Me – That is because she is too busy eavesdropping on your conversations.
Stephanie – Why? So she can send me stuff to buy?
Me – Yes, that is exactly why.
Stephanie – pft.
Me – Just like your smart TV watches you.
Stephanie – nervously laughs.
H – 🦗🦗🦗
Stephanie – continues to nervously laugh.
H – Wait. Do we have a smart TV at my house?
Me – Yep!
H – So it sees me?
Me – Yep!
H – ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!?!??! I GET DRESSED IN THE LIVING ROOM SO IT SEES ME NAKED!
Me – YEP!
Stephanie – bursts out laughing – THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY!
Me – I know you were. You were looking for a G rated way to say it.
Stephanie – still laughing – I WAS!

Driving home from picking H up from school.

Me – How was your day!?
H – Can I tell you something?
Me – ALWAYS!
H – There is no field trips at my school until grade three!! NONE! I need to go back to my old school. This sucks.
Me – 🤦🏻‍♀️

Another after school pick up…..

Me – So glad to see you! How was your day!?
H – Terrible.
Me – Oh tell me about it.
H – Once we are in the car.

I assume it has to do with a disagreement with a friend at recess. We get in the car.

H – Can I tell you about my terrible bad day?
Me – Yep.
H – Pasta day was today.
Me – Okay?
H – It was late so we had to go outside for recess and THEN come in to have lunch.
Me – 🤔 – Pasta being late made it a terrible bad day?
H – Yes.

Safe to say she was probably hangry and did not want to wait any longer for her pasta lunch.

H new hobby is to go out back and pick up dog poo… 🤦🏻‍♀️
Matcha (her protector) is never too far, keeping watch for coyotes…
Moo is just there to hangout and annoy H.

No clue of why I bought all the cereal. The chocolate almonds barely lasted a week…. I have ate most of them…. No shock there.

H is staying strong in her opinion.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I slept through the night. I slept so deep I swear I could have slept through a train going through the bedroom. Then…. I had a baby and never slept again. Not unless I had ear plugs in, or medicated myself. Maybe one day I will sleep again, unaided.

Nice of Jared to confirm Dharma was not dead…..