Comments on The 3 R's Blog // Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness: Sights and Sounds of the Season (Weekend/Wednesday...

Not to mention the cats. Children are less likely...

2009-11-27T08:38:39.625-08:00

Not to mention the cats. Children are less likely to try and climb the tree--at least the older ones. Cats are harder to keep away. :-) I'll never forget the year Parker was climbing our tree and sent it spinning with him hanging on for dear life. LOL

Wendy (Literary Feline) - Now that you mention it,...

2009-11-27T08:22:15.573-08:00

Wendy (Literary Feline) - Now that you mention it, I think that part of why my sister and I used to start playing Christmas music in August was to help us imagine cold weather during those "3 H" (hazy, hot, and humid) Connecticut summers :-).

And I totally get not decorating for Christmas because of not wanting to think about taking it all down afterwards. Fortunately, your pets won't expect a tree - it's harder to get away with skipping the decorating when you have kids :-).

Dare I confess that I sing Christmas carols year r...

2009-11-26T21:00:16.332-08:00

Dare I confess that I sing Christmas carols year round? Let It Snow seemed to be a favorite of mine this summer. Maybe I hoped it would cool me down on those hot days . . .

Some years I get all of my Christmas shopping done early and other years I'm still shopping for gifts last minute (it's one of those last minute years this year).

I confess I didn't put up any Christmas decorations last year and I probably won't again this year. I love this time of year, but lately I can only thing about how I don't want to have to clean it all up and put it away after. Talk about bah humbug.

Jeanne - My husband starts working on his own wish...

2009-11-20T08:46:57.393-08:00

Jeanne - My husband starts working on his own wish list in September, since his birthday's in October and he figures that whatever he doesn't get then can carry over to Christmas. That's fine for him, but it makes him start asking the kids and me for lists early, and we're not ready!

I'm sure it does help to have all of December off :-).

When my mother and sister-in-law bug me for "wish ...

2009-11-20T06:31:07.671-08:00

When my mother and sister-in-law bug me for "wish lists" for everyone in my family before Halloween, it makes me feel grinchy. I have to wait until December to start Christmas shopping. Sometimes I have some souvenirs from travel saved for gifts, but usually I start from scratch. It helps that my academic quarter is over at the end of November and I don't go back to teaching until January 2.

Karen - I've done that too, but I can't remember t...

2009-11-19T09:00:45.131-08:00

Karen - I've done that too, but I can't remember the details :-).

The idea of buying a gift or ornament earlier in t...

2009-11-18T23:39:58.110-08:00

The idea of buying a gift or ornament earlier in the year and then not knowing where it is when the time comes definitely resonates with me. At least two presents I've bought in the past decade or so were actually sent out more than a year later, on a different Christmas entirely!

TexasRed - I'm not always consistent about it, but...

2009-11-18T21:12:00.361-08:00

TexasRed - I'm not always consistent about it, but sometimes I just stumble across something that seems just right for someone, and I don't know if I'll see it again, so I just need to snap it up when I find it :-).

Mike - I don't do it any more - it's been YEARS :-)! I think the "all-Christmas" radio station around here is already at it, but since I don't actually listen to it, I don't know for sure.

April - I'm envious that you'll be in NYC for the holidays (unless there's a blizzard and you get stuck there :-D)! You and the girls won't need a lot of other gifts; you're having experiences. Take lots of pictures, though!

Amy RGB - I get that! My ex-husband's birthday is in mid-December (same day as my stepson's - how weird is THAT?) and our wedding anniversary was in January, so I used to consider that the span of our holiday season.

I love that you started singing Christmas songs in...

2009-11-18T14:12:31.941-08:00

I love that you started singing Christmas songs in August! My stepdaughters' birthdays are at the end of November and the beginning of January. By the end of it all, I am DONE with celebrations! :)

I was just telling a friend, it's the calm before ...

2009-11-18T10:57:34.126-08:00

I was just telling a friend, it's the calm before the holiday storm! Our holidays will be so different this year and that's what I'm most looking forward to. We're doing Thanksgiving at D-land, and going to NYC for Xmas. Presents will be very, very limited. Or so I hope!

Christmas music in August? That would drive me bon...

2009-11-18T10:47:15.408-08:00

Christmas music in August? That would drive me bonkers. :)

We are late starters on all that stuff. We don't do a whole lot of decorating, so I don't know what our problem is. :)

We have a radio station her that goes to all Christmas music during the season. IT started last weekend, which is kind of late for them. I think people started to complain that they were starting too early.

I'm with you on keeping an eye out for presents th...

2009-11-18T09:05:59.499-08:00

I'm with you on keeping an eye out for presents throughout the year. We were lucky enough to hit a great craft fair in October and get lots of people marked off the list.

I tend to lack moderation when it comes to Christmas, so I try *really hard* not to do any decorating before Thanksgiving. After that, it's no-holds-barred Hallmark movies, Christmas carols and garland everywhere.

Kathy (Bermudaonion) - I usually like to get the t...

2009-11-18T08:47:31.784-08:00

Kathy (Bermudaonion) - I usually like to get the tree and decorations up by the second week of December, but I think we'll be the last ones in our neighborhood to get it done this year too.

November 1?! Are these the same people who don't take the decorations down until February :-)?

We're usually the last ones to put up our Christma...

2009-11-18T08:00:52.432-08:00

We're usually the last ones to put up our Christmas decorations. I do love Christmas and our Christmas tree but not for months at a time. One of our neighbors has had their Christmas decorations up since November 1.