The Halls are Decked

I've had a hard time getting into the Christmas decorating spirit this year. Perhaps it's the stacks of boxes in almost every corner, or that I don't know which box certain items are located in, but most likely my having sworn off caffeine and am having withdrawals that prevents me from sprinkling our home with Christmas cheer. (That was one really long sentence. My eighth-graders would have to rewrite that one.)

Once again, I feel that Olivia Walton would handle this differently. She would probably say something like, "It doesn't matter how much or little we have, (or if the boxes are stacked in the corner), what matters most is that we are here together for Christmas. Jason, play us a little ditty on the piano while we all smile and decorate the tree. When we're finished, we'll all have warm cookies and milk."

On the other hand, Sue Ellen (Dallas) would most likely say, "J.R., I'm tired of your shinanigans! I'm taking the credit card and going into town, and I don't when I'll be back! I'll have Raul put up the tree while I'm gone!"

I'm stuck somewhere in between the two. The tree is decorated, and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care (I ran out of hooks so I just hammered one into the mantle). I do choose to believe in Santa, because as one of my students said, "Momma said if you don't believe, you ain't gonna get no toys."