Dear Scrooge

Dear Scrooges of the world,

In an attempt to drive you to drink and use bad words, we have begun our Christmas transformation at our house. The tree has been up for a few days and has lights on about a third of it. The outside lights are mostly all strung (which really wasn't so difficult since we left most of them up all year. Woops). We even have the lights on tonight, and it isn't even Thanksgiving!

Go ahead. Take a swig of that drink. I know, I drive you to it.

The Christmas presents are almost all purchased. The gingerbread, peppermint, and Vanilla Bean Noel body washes have been placed in the shower. We've been watching Christmas movies on ABC Family almost every night.

Go ahead, take another drink. I can see that vein bulging in your forehead.

You know, growing up we always waited for the weekend after Thanksgiving to decorate. But my Mom only had me, and we didn't have a whole lot of decorations. We also didn't decorate the outside of our house. So it worked out just fine. We spent a few hours and tadah! It was Christmas time!

Now? I have a toddler and a baby. I have no time. Plus? I have a ton of Christmas stuff. Like, an entire closet full. So much that it doesn't even fit in the closet and a few totes have ended up on the floor beside the closet door. And? We decorate outside. To the tune of 4,000 lights on our 700-square-foot-house. We added more this year. We also added a second Christmas Tree just for outside. As we say in Georgia, "Go big or go home", and...well...we're already home.

Did you drink it all already?

So. As you might imagine, between all the holly jolly we have to create...and the two little people running around demanding our attention and time...if we waited until after Thanksgiving, we might get things finished before New Year's Eve.

Hate me if you like. But when I'm coasting through December, all my holly jolly twinkling and glittery with peace and happiness, you'll be wishing you were me. While you're crammed into overpacked malls, spending three days looking for a parking spot, scratching your head because you don't know what to buy anyone....just remember me...sitting in my living room, sipping hot cocoa with a candy cane in my hand...admiring my artfully wrapped presents while the music from Charlie Brown plays in the background.

You go on ahead and wait for Thanksgiving to come and go. I'll be done and did by then, my friend.

Signed,

"There Is No Such Thing As Too Early For Christmas"