It's almost Christmas!

Or so I was informed this morning, by a four year old boy who decided that having been to school for 2 whole days, he had learned all there was to know about kindergarten and was ready to just stay home and decorate the Christmas tree.

We have 2 pines in the backyard. It's a new subdivision, and while they are nice and small now, I know a thing or two about evergreens and the speed at which they grow. It won't be long before they take over my postage stamp size backyard, which would leave me with less grass to mow, but also less room to send the kids outside to play when I need a little "me" time.

So the plan was, that we would replace them with something less - invasive; and use them as Christmas trees. This year is perfect - They are only a year and a half, and would make grand Christmas trees. We talked about our "plan" this summer, and recently brought the idea up which has now been met with some resistance by the 4 yr old who knows everything.

"If you cut it down, it will stop growing" He told me. Regardless of the fact that this is precisely the point of cutting it down in the first place, lack of growth is generally considered a negative by the boy who told me today that the classmate I saw him talking to is indeed in his class, and is "berry berry berry berry tall". He's at least 6 inches taller than my son, who comes in on the smaller side of average, and wants nothing more than to grow grow grow. Growing is good. We can't cut the tree down in the backyard because it won't grow. not growing is bad.
Instead, we were given an alternate suggestion to "build a tree out of the box in the basement, and put lights on it and take a picture." Yes he's talking about our good old standby - The Fake Christmas tree that resides in a box under the stairs.

Christmas seems so far away; I mean we have Thanksgiving, and Halloween first, and then in our family a mass of November birthdays (5 in the space of a week) and then finally Christmas. We think it will go fast, but this year it truly will seem to take forever for Christmas to arrive because:
A) I am asked almost everyday "Is it Christmas tomorrow?"
B) I am told almost everyday that "Santa will bring me __________(fill in the toy de jour)"
C) It's good leverage to have (i.e. Be GOOD boys; Santa knows who's naughty and nice) and I will have to think of a new tactic post Christmas blitz.
D) I've already done a lot of my Christmas shopping, so I'm not stressed, and can't wait to see the looks on their faces!

I have found the perfect gift for my 4 yr old.

Some of you readers may know the strange love affair (read obsession) my son has with hose nozzles.
He has quite a collection of nozzles - some with multiple spray heads, and all of them holding a dear and special place in his heart so much so that he has slept with them stuffed under his pillow. He has asked for more of course, and I asked him one time how many nozzles were enough and he answered that he thought 20 might be enough, so Santa still has a lot more to give him.
Anyway, I found THESE.....


and bought them today while they were on clearance - (hey, we're getting to the end of nozzle season, and I didnt want a repeat of last year with me scrambling to find a nozzle in the middle of December when selection really is very poor, not to mention the odd looks I got when I DID find the perfect nozzle and danced a jig in the middle of Home Hardware singing "I found one, I found one" - I'm sure at the time they felt incredibly sorry for my son to be opening that up on Christmas morn - if only they could have seen the utter joy on his face)

Next on my list - A new fan for my other obsessed son (fans and all things that spin are wonderful and good).
The people at Home hardware must think me a lunatic for shopping there over Toys R Us, but really, I know what will make them happy. Heck, I think I'll get my youngest a shiny new flyswatter and a large pot to bang on, since that seems to be a big hit these days. Maybe I'll also cook some noodles and drop them on the floor as extra bonus treats....
Oh hurry up Christmas, I cannot wait!!!***

***I understand completely and fully that 3 months from now, I will be a stressed out bundle of nerves that is relieved to have another Holiday season done and over with, and will be eagerly chomping at the bit for spring to arrive, long long LONG before it actually warms up past -20˚. I hereby retain my right to complain bitterly at the cold weather and having to shovel snow, and all references to my anticipation of winter and this blog will be vehemently denied in future blogs that may contain copious amounts of bitterness at our Canadian winters, and complaints in general, including holidays, lineups at Walmart, Walmart employees, idiotic drivers on Christmas day and stores with bad return policies.