Christmas Pre-Season: the Month Formerly Known as November

Sunset over the Cannonball's school.

Happy Pre-Christmas, America!

I'll just skip over the whole segment where I make clever witticisms like 'isn't is weird how people start putting up Christmas crap, and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet?!'  That's become way too similar to 'and what's the deal with airline food?' to me - I mentally shut down when people start talking about it.  Kids are spoiled these days, politicians are corrupt, airline food is disgusting, and Christmas is being celebrated way too early these days.

Shut up, folks.

That being said, we Houghs regard Thanksgiving a gauntlet best undertaken quickly and quietly. . . like ninjas peeing in the dark.  No sense getting worked up over it, or making grand, elaborate plans for it - for anyone ending their name in 'Hough,' Thanksgiving usually spells out 'peril,' so we don't want to tempt the fates by acknowledging it.

Randomly, Fox 35 down here decided to broadcast a Detroit Lions game, which never happens (they beat the Chicago Bears, which was awesome.)  We usually only get to see them lose on Thanksgiving, which we're looking forward to this year (well, I'm looking forward to.)

Abby does this a lot. By herself, in her room.  It's weird.

With this in mind, once Halloween is over and done with, we give it a couple weeks before engaging in full-on Yule Mode.  For the most part, our shopping is done by African American Friday so we don't have to deal with stupid people shopping for 'deals.'  Thanksgiving being on the 28th this year - the latest it's been in twelve years, thereabouts - we opted to throw up the decorations a week prior, opposed to the day after like usual.  This gave Yours Truly a week off to enjoy decorations before heading back to work for three weeks of wrangling before Christmas break kicks off.

Check it out:

The girls try Rotisserie Chicken for the first time. . .

Big fans.

Taking the kids to the park with the Voigts.

Placing orders at the shop (fortunately we didn't find any used condoms this time.)

If I were rich, I'd build one of these things in my backyard.

Jackson files a complaint with Customer Service.

"Whatcha havin', Skip?"

Picking up Alayna from school (Note the purple extension in her hair - we basically let her wear whatever she wants to school these days.  We're those parents.)

The Cannonball does her own make-up.  I'm assuming she was going for a Cyndi Lauper thing, but who knows.

We moved around the living room furniture in order to get things ready for the Christmas Tree, and the new arrangement - with the recliner in the back corner - creates a nice, cozy reading spot that we'll probably keep after the Holidays are over and done with.

Checking out some comics a coworker of mine was getting rid of. . .

Behold: the first Egg Nog of the 2013 Holiday Season.

She chose her own make-up and outfit for her friend Holly (and boyfriend Brady)'s  co-birthday party.

Abby, climbing into a bounce house at Monkey Joe's (where, if you'll be so good to remember, they do NOT serve booze.)

"Raise the roof, mother f***ers!" 

Abby still hates Joe with a passion.

Holly and Brady (they're twins) gave Alayna one of the VIP seats for the cake segment of the birthday party. . .

Awaiting cake. . . Abby wouldn't sit at the table without adult protection, lest the monkey pounce on her. 

Alayna watches her boyfriend play air hockey. . .

After the kids went to bed, we decided to bypass our tradition of waiting until after Thanksgiving and threw up the Christmas Tree.  And, as we all know, you can't put up a tree without busting out some festive Christmas cocktails!

As always, we watched our official Christmas Tree decorating movie:  Some Like It Hot.

The Tree, decorated (with the exception of the non-breakable ornaments we leave for the girls to hang along the bottom 1/3 of the tree. . .)

After years of saying we were going to do it and having laziness prevail, we finally purchased a star to replace the angel atop our tree.  Huzzah. 

The snowmen call upon the Dark Forces, offering sacrifices upon fiery alters. . .

The girls' playroom, ready for the holiday season (though the playhouse is probably a fire hazard. . .)

Kris' room, decorated for the season.

In the morning, we let the girls wake up to the newly-decorated tree and let them hang up the remaining ornaments. 

Jingle bells have a tendency of being taken off the tree and played with.

Stay tuned for more random Christmas nonsense, folks.

- Brian