Christmas is in the Air!!

Well, I saw my first Christmas display today. It was in Costco. I had heard reports of Christmas display sightings a week or 2 ago, but this was my first actual sighting of the year. Now, don’t get me wrong – I absolutely LOVE Christmas…however…when Christmas stuff is popping up around Labor Day (or before!), that’s a tad early, in my opinion. I feel like Halloween & Thanksgiving sort of get the shaft. Although I guess when Halloween stuff is coming out in July, they’ve had their moment by the time October 31 rolls around. I’m just of the mindset that people don’t need more than 4 weeks – 6 tops – to prep for a holiday. Nobody is decorating for Christmas now anyway (or if they are, their last name is Griswold), so why put the stuff out? I think that one holiday should pass before the next one starts creeping in. I will consent that Christmas stuff can begin a little before Thanksgiving, but September 4 is ridiculous. Oh – and a couple of weeks ago I was at the mall with my mom. We were eating lunch in the food court, when all of a sudden I saw Santa! He was wearing shorts & a Hawaiian shirt, but it was definitely the North Point Mall Santa! At first my mom thought I was crazy, but I’d recognize him anywhere, because he is such a sweet-looking Santa (not like the scary Santas they had in malls when I was little). We saw him again after lunch and she admitted that I might be right. So as I was walking around Costco at lunch today, trying to avoid the Christmas aisle, who do I see? North Point Mall Santa!!! I’m 99% sure he was wearing the same Hawaiian shirt and shorts that he had on in the mall that day. I guess he goes Hawaiian so kids are less likely to recognize him? Or maybe he’s really a tropical guy at heart. And even though I still think it’s too early to think about Christmas, I did get excited seeing Santa both times because this will be Liam’s first time to see Santa, and I’m excited about getting our first Santa picture with both guys.

And now, drumroll please…

They hired a lawn service!!! After making another bold attempt at mowing this past Saturday night (and only getting about halfway done, and STILL not mowing that back corner of his yard or around the playset…AND filling up about 4 yard bags with the tiny little bit he did mow because the grass was so tall…), a lawn service showed up this morning at our neighbors house to attack the jungle. I don’t know why it took him this long, but at least he has realized that something needed to be done. Maybe he felt like as the homeowner it was his responsibility to do it. But, I say, if you don't want to do it yourself and you can afford it, why not. It’s like when we finally broke down and hired a cleaning lady. With 2 kids now, cleaning the house dropped to the bottom of my priority list. That’s not to say I liked living in a dirty house…I just had no time or desire to clean it. It is a well-spent check every other week. I’m sure our neighbor won’t mind spending money on the lawn service in return for not having the tackiest yard on the street.