O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! You're Up Before Thanksgiving!

Yes, that's right.
Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.

We decked the halls yesterday.
Our Christmas tree is UP.
And it's only November 17.

Sue me.

OHMYGOD! You're combining the holidays! How will the turkey know that it is for Thanksgiving??? It's the end of days. The zombie apocalypse is near.

Give me a break. (Also, do you see how excited Emma is? Priceless.)

Yes, this is the earliest we have EVER put up our tree. Normally the tree goes up the day before Thanksgiving or ON Thanksgiving morning. And it comes down on December 26 or 27. Why? Because by that time I'm sick of looking at it.

Yeah, bah-humbug. Whatever. 

We have always put our tree up early. And by "we" I mean me and Kevin. We started doing it that way in 2003 when I was huge and pregnant and due on January 3, 2004 and I wanted nothing to do with taking a tree down in January. So....we figured if it was up by Thanksgiving we could take it down RIGHT after Christmas.

And so, our tree tradition was born.

As for yesterday, we were discussing decorating over our morning coffee and I said "ugh...I don't even want to think about it" and he said "let's do it today." And I said OK, sure.

And now it's November 17 and we have three Christmas trees up in the house (and decorated!) and the other snow globe and snowman displays are up too. The only thing we didn't do (for fear of looking TOTALLY INSANE) was decorate the outside of the house. THAT can wait.

Now, on the day before Thanksgiving we can take the kids to the movies and enjoy a relaxing day. And on Thanksgiving morning I can enjoy my coffee and the Black Friday ads without thinking about decorating.

And, I can take it all down on December 26 without even the smallest pang of guilt.