The Christmas Craziness Begins...

December 1st. One of my most favourite days of the year.

Now, nobody can tell me it's too early to decorate or sing Christmas carols or turn on the Christmas lights. It's officially "okay" to get into the holiday spirit!

A little hard to do this year, considering the severe lack of snow on the ground... But I've managed to get myself wound up for the holidays anyways. Most of my gift buying is done (God bless you, on-line shopping), I have my iTunes Christmas playlist ready to roll, I have all the ingredients to make my potluck dishes and Christmas baking, I have dug up all my favourite festive specials on both VHS and DVD, and I have re-stocked my inventory of gift wrap, bags, bows, and tags.

I'm not sure I've ever been this prepared for Christmas before in my LIFE!

I was doing a little looking back on the Blog, and I was reminded of how different the "waiting" was last year - because not only was I preparing for Christmas, I was also anxiously anticipating the arrival of my sister & her husband's second baby.

My niece Danica will be 1 on December 15th. Seriously, where did this year go?!?!?

And while I was absolutely thrilled the day she was born, I've now realized that adding her in to the mix, I know have three - count 'em , THREE! - December birthdays in my family. Dad on the 10th, Kara on New Year's Eve, and now Dan too on the 15th. As if the Christmas season wasn't jam-packed enough...or hard enough on my wallet!

So now, the busiest of months begins - Christmas gatherings with friends, birthday parties for family members, the parade, Dane Cook on the 11th, a Sens game on the 21st...

Let the Christmas Craziness BEGIN! :)