Being Thankful and all of that

I say all of that because goodness has November come and gone. I don't even remember most of it. I don't know if it is having Skip who is constantly changing or the weather and its tendencies to be up and down. Regardless, is it really December? Really?

I write this post with big band Christmas tunes playing and my regular blog reading circuit opened in different tabs. I love the idea of December. Heck, I welcomed the Christmas trees (yeah, plural) mid November using a friends baby shower that I hosted as an excuse. But I totally kept the pumpkins on the porch. One of my friends joked her house was having an identity crisis too. Why did I have Christmas inside and fall out? I can't commit to Christmas decor for our porch. But you better believe I am making Rusty string lights outside this weekend. Hey, I am a good wife. I am odd (for obvious reasons) but the fact that I cannot find the Christmas porch things I want. We have two front doors. That means two wreaths. With most wreaths being $40-50 a pop that means double the price so in other words I need to love the wreaths. And this is just the start of the porch debacle. I embrace it though. It will get there. And then Rusty will probably move me. He likes to do that and I like to love him.

Still following me with this post? Yeah, not even to the meat yet. I am getting there. Relax.

There is a debate. A debate over when it is okay to celebrate Christmas. When it okay to put up the tree. When you decorate for fall. When you mix the two holidays. Respect the turkey. Put up the tree if you want. It is a all over social media. Respect the turkey again. People get really hostile about it. No Christmas tunes until the day after Thanksgiving. RESPECT THE TURKEY. Isn't that a weird saying if you think about it? Respect a dead bird on a platter. Maybe they mean respect the holiday of giving thanks and reflection and gratitude and bliss. I think that is what they mean.

Here is the solution. Wait, are you ready for it? You sure?

Do what you want and celebrate both.

Earth shattering. Right? I knew you would think that.

Skip is getting to where he is really starting to understand things. We haven't really had to make a holiday of any sort too big of a deal or explain what it means. We just aren't to that stage yet. But it is coming. And more importantly than following guidelines for when to decorate or when to be thankful or when to do any of it... the big question is what am I teaching him? Having a tree up before Thanksgiving has nothing to do with our Thanksgiving traditions and the pure meaning I will teach him for being grateful for this life. The same goes for putting the tree up after Thanksgiving. What am I teaching him for advent? Does he see why we celebrate Christmas? So let the battle rest and of all things evaluate the meaning of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Advent, Lent...

I want to shield Skip from all of it minus the really, really good things but I know I can't forever. Until then I am learning what each holiday means to me and how I want to celebrate. I am saying my thanks (more than just Thanksgiving day). I am decking the halls. I am learning how to parent. Who would have thought this day would be here? But it is. So what will I do with it?