Just Pretending

The first decoration of Xmas 2019

We are slowly getting our Christmas stuff out. It feels like pretend. I don't know if it's the calendar, the weather (so hot, and our A/C is on the fritz!) or a combination of everything, but I don't feel merry yet. Just kind of stressed, which I guess is in keeping with Christmas, at least the secular version.

My first decoration that we hung up is a new one, from my friend Paige's business called Beezus & Roux. She started making art from Mardi Gras beads, and they're beautiful. Epoxy means they'll last. I'm not sure about the bow -- if I were more decorative myself I could fluff it or something, but it's fine for this year. I'll need to keep it inside in the linen closet instead of outside with the other Xmas junk to keep it from melting. A small price to pay. (It is a small piece, so not a huge space sacrifice either.)

I did some Christmas shopping today, buying a bunch of small Frozen II items. The girls both want a BIG Frozen thing -- a vanity (plastic, blech) or dollhouse (too big, and we already HAVE a dollhouse -- a friend just gave us a dollhouse bookshelf). Jane wants a Nintendo Switch, but I don't see that as a good idea, or this learning catalog teacher set that I wouldn't get last year. (She did get a teacher set, the cheaper Melissa & Doug version PLUS my sister, actually a teacher, made her a set of some of the materials she uses, like red pens, name plates for desks, etc.) Livia circled half the items in the Target and Amazon catalogs -- she'll be pretty happy with any toys I think. I now have more than enough for them, although almost entirely TOYS. And none seems "big." But do they really need something BIG? They got Kindles last year, but we still monitor their use and it's not something they have constant access to.

Many things to consider.

Advent is going to fly by. I'm not sure that I'll miss blogging daily -- I know most Decembers I feel that reflexive muscle kick in. I have a LOT of magazine writing to do though, so that should keep me busy and quell any urges. TBD. TBD. TBD.

Happy end-of-November.