Signs of the Season

• Every requested show in the evenings is one Christmas movie or another.  We've already seen "Charlie Brown Christmas", "Frosty the Snowman", "White Christmas", "Christmas Vacation", "Home Alone" (1 & 2), and the cartoon "Grinch" countless times.  Love it.
• My answer to every toy/shoe/clothes/novelty item request is, "Wow, that sounds like a good thing to ask Santa for."
• My kids get out of bed only because they know the chocolate Advent calendars are waiting in the kitchen.  Tonight when Emma asked for chocolate, I found myself saying, "No, we eat our chocolates in the mornings."  Parent of the Year.  But also, Whatever it Takes.
• Oh, and candy canes are a food group in our house right now.
• The gingerbread house in the center of our kitchen table gets new bling added to it daily, and every evening art project is holiday-themed.
• For the first time in forever, Steve and I are both taking a personal day tomorrow to go Christmas shopping together.  Normally we each pick up some things here and there, but we figure this will be easier. And it's been a long time since we've had a day out and about together, so it should be fun.  All the shopping may drive us to drink by about noon ... but hopefully we come home ready for Christmas.
• I keep finding clumps of tree needles all over the house.  I figure I'll worry about them in about a month.
• Of course the only thing we listen to on the radio is "The Christmas Station."  
• We are all counting down the days!  This week has gone by more quickly than any single week since school started ... Christmas will be here before we know it.  It's the most wonderful time!