Do you put up a tree? When?
We put up a tree. The past many years we've gotten away with putting it up about mid December and removing it the day or so after Christmas. This year the kids are insisting, "We're putting up the tree this week and it's not coming down until after Christmas!"
Jer and I are like, "Excellent! Have fun!"
The truth is, Elizabeth is taking the "Bah Humbug" out of it for me. She's making me enjoy the holiday again!  She loves the holiday lights, the shopping, the sparkling, and all of the Jingle Bell rocking going on.  She loves the Christmas music and plays it all of the time.
She took the time to help me with the holiday cards, even providing the hot chocolate! She started thinking about things that her brother would like as gifts and she took the time to write them down and give the list to me.  She asks to go "look at the lights" many nights a week.  And she listens to the "All Holiday Music All of the Time" radio station.
To see this normally "glass-is-half-empty" child become bright and rosy-cheeked, and full of good cheer, to see her thinking of others and what would please them, to see her feeling happy and delighted day after day...it is making me like the holiday as well!  She is what is making MY holiday full of good cheer!
I hope you have some small ones in your home to help you remember to ENJOY the season of long, cold nights and brief, bright days!

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