Holidays are over

The tree is down, the ornaments are boxed up, the lights are... well, they're in piles on the kitchen table, because I haven't found the box they go in yet. But it's official, the holidays are over.

My decorations were up a long time this year. 5 weeks and a few days. I like to get every minute of family holiday togetherness I can out of it, so our tradition is to put up the tree on the day after Thanksgiving, while I've got family here to do it for me to help with the decorating. Usually it comes down on New Years Day, when I'm full of energy for the start of the new year - this year, waiting that extra day was just to much. I woke up, looked at it, and said "Tree, you've got to go." I took talking to the tree as a sure sign that it was, in fact, time for this tree to go.

So Tree is in it's box, and the living room is clear of all signs that there was a holiday.

Furniture is back in it's proper places, stockings removed from the fireplace, stuffed Santas and Christmas Teddy Bears returned to the attic. It's 81 degrees outside, and Samantha is in a sundress and I broke out the shorts. Is it spring yet?

I put Montgomery and Samantha's Santa pictures in a dual frame so they can whisper in Santa's ear all year long about how good they've been. I can't remember what year the picture of Montgomery was taken - I think it was the year he was 5. Getting both of them to sit still for a picture and smile at the same time is nearly impossible, what with the deadly contagious cooties and all. So this is about as good as I can get.