The night with the Christmas trees and pie

It's December 7th, and I'm not feeling Christmas yet. I'm usually the first person on the holiday bandwagon, getting my decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and sending all my cards out December 1st. Not so this year. I have barely started shopping even--the only people I have done are my two nephews and my Erie Blogs Secret Santa (of course).

I'm not sending Christmas cards this year--and yes, I can hear the collective gasp. It just has been getting to be more of a hassle than anything, and expensive! I'd rather donate the money we usually spend to our favorite charity and have Mike make everyone a nice e-card (something he's been wanting to do for the last few years, but I always have pushed for paper).

Most of my friends whom I've talked to about this feel the same way. I don't know if it's getting older or feeling jaded by commercialism or what, but none of us are into it the way we used to be. I guess I want to make this time more about friends and family and the blessings that we have, and get away from the stress and the worry of it. Christmas should be a time of joy, and especially a time for the magic and wonder that it brings to the kids.

I'm going to try to focus on that this year in our little family. It may mean scaling back a little on the decor, baking fewer cookies because we're doing it with the help of little hands, or not writing out 50 Christmas cards, but I'm hoping we'll be better for it. I want to teach Evan about joy and love and the spirit of giving, not Mommy fretting over her to do list or grumbling like Scrooge.