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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Gripes, I Have Them

This might be a bit of a "Ba humbug" post but there are a few gripes that I have and I just need to get them off my chest.  So...here we go:

  1. My radio station has switched over to Christmas music for the season.  The first week or so it was great. I  was in the best mood listening to the sounds of Christmas in my car on the way to work everyday.  And then, it got old.  I think I have heard the same Christmas songs sung 5 different ways daily for the past month.  OK...I'm over the Christmas music now.  Which leads me to my next gripe...
  2. Can't they just sing the blasted song?!?  Why must every artist feel the need to "make the song their own?"  It's just wrong.  Don't mess with my Christmas classics.  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen to a pop beat...no...just no!  Stop the madness now and leave the Carols alone!
  3. Also, I hate that people feel the need to be PC at Christmas.  I get we all have different beliefs and celebrate different ways but I don't understand why "Merry Christmas" became a bad thing to say.  So forgive me but I will say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" and I will hunt down cards that say that exact thing because that's how I feel.  
  4. I drive the toll road to work daily because it is the fastest and easiest way for me to get to work.  So, yes, getting behind someone at the toll booth who does not have a TxTag but has a Texas car tag really annoys me.  Get outta my way at 8 AM when I'm already late to work (thanks, daycare drop off).  So I was pretty happy to see the signs that the toll booths will no longer be accepting cash starting January 1st.  And then I started to feel bad for the ladies that work the booth I drive through every day.  I hope that TxTag had made other arrangements for them so they aren't out of a job because that would suck.
OK...so that's all I can think of right now.  I had more but I forgot them in the process of actually getting to work.  I really need to start recording my thoughts during my commute because I really do come up with good blog ideas with all that time on my hands to think.  I will leave you on a brighter note though.  This little guy is 17 months old today!  Who told him he could get so big and look like a little person instead of a tiny baby!?!




Monday, December 17, 2012

Christmas Spirit

Christmas is just over a week away but you wouldn't know it by looking at my house.  The Christmas spirit is definitely lacking here which makes me sad.  There is always a delay on putting up the Christmas tree here because of it's location in the house but this year the toddler in the house has stopped me from putting up any decorations at all.  You see, the only location in my house that is (sort of) available for the Christmas tree is in front of the picture window in my kitchen that faces the street.  There is no other spot that doesn't contain furniture that can't easily be moved and stored in place of the tree for a couple of weeks.  Instead, I have to move the dog's bowls and mat from it's normal spot in front of the window to another less convenient location on the other side of the kitchen.  Plus the tree blocks access to the pantry which makes life all kinds of difficult.

Throw the toddler into the mix and it's just a recipe for disaster.  One of my twitter friends posted about her son who is a month older than Jackson pulling the tree on to himself within days of them putting it up and I decided right then to delay the tree even further.  My current plan is to ask Chris to start getting it out on Thursday since tomorrow is Sean's last day of school.  It will give them something to do during the day and give me less to stress about.  If that doesn't work, then I will be decorating alone while corralling Jackson all weekend.  Also, baby gates will be in place to prevent said toddler from entering and exiting the kitchen for the duration of the Christmas holidays.

I have two Nutcrackers up on the very top of my entertainment center and a a snowman table cloth in the dining room but that is the extent of the decorating that has happened here.  The Nutcrackers only made it out because they were purchased on Black Friday this year and haven't made it to the decoration box(es) yet.  I normally have my Nutcracker collection, my International Santas, and my Nativities covering the living room and dining room at this point with stockings hung on the fireplace.  But little grabby hands who can climb made me re-think that since I would like to keep my decorations in one piece for future use.

I am sure this all sounds very grinch-y but I promise I'm not trying to be.  I have tried to find all the Christmas related activities I can for us to do.  We hit Santa's workshop at my office and the Christmas Stroll in a neighboring town all in one day two weeks ago.  We also checked out the Living Nativity/Life of Christ production at one of the local churches.  Plus we have attended a couple of Christmas parties.  I still have plans for pictures with Santa and going to see Christmas lights this weekend plus a family viewing of Polar Express.  I sure hope that makes up for the lack of festiveness in the house.