christmas in october

I know. I know. I know. It's not even Halloween.
I have a full 5 lbs. to gain at Thanksgiving before
I should start EVEN CONSIDERING writing about Christmas.
I fully agree with you.
Except that I have this Christmas article deadline that has
been hanging over my head like a big fatload of bricks.
And today I finished. I thought I finished last night. Not so.
After staying up until midnight last night, editing,
somehow, in the vast un-knowledge of technology that I posess,
I failed to save my edits...twice.
And you know, tsgs, a number of "for goodness sakes" where
exclaimed into the wee black hours of this morning.
Because we all know I need my beauty rest.
So this afternoon, my blessed mother-in-law,
came to watch my little guys and I finished it up.
And now I can't stop thinking about Christmas.
I very nearly popped James Taylor's Hallmark Christmas album
into the cd player of my minivan this afternoon.
Because I don't play when it comes to Christmas music or James.
Or my minivan, for that matter.
And then I started thinking about mulled cider.
And buying presents. I love buying presents.
I love the look on peoples faces when they open the
presents that I bought them.
Now my children have been hounding me for Christmas
presents since July. That's right. July.
This does not excite me. I'm all for Christmas lists.
But my children are begging for elaborate
lego starwars building sets that cost hundreds of dollars.
They think they are getting these for Christmas.
(Hundreds of dollars!) And I keep trying to tell them
Mommy just does not carry that much cash.
But santa does, right?
People, lego starwars is about to blow santa's cover.
Because we all know santa would bring the
lego starwars Jabba the Hut sailbarge with
Lando Calrissian and blind Han Solo. He would.
He would have his elvish buddies whip up two matching sailbarges
so that Jack and Will wouldn't have to fight over who gets r2-d2.
But we also all know that mommy buys stocking stuffers
at the dollar store and never the twain shall meet.
If I was a millionaire, I would seriously consider
spending a hundred dollars on one toy. If it was on sale.
Because I would love to see the looks on those two sweet boys faces
when they opened their SINGLE christmas present
and saw Luke and Leia in all of their hinged lego glory.
But the article I've been working on talks about
the other side of Christmas. The giving side.
The side of Christmas when we pour love into the people around us.
And I would love to give that to my boys, too.
I would love for them to know the joy of not just getting toys,
but doing something filled with love for someone who needs it.
And so it has me thinking. About all the fun awaiting us.
About Jesus. About little boys and Christmas morning.
About how we as a family can pour out, instead of just filling up.
And I'm thinking just a little bit about the
peppermint jojo's chocolate sandwich cookies from Trader Joe's
that should be arriving sometime in November.
Just a little bit.
And with that said,
I must soon start the search for halloween costumes.
Luke and Annakin Skywalker, of course.