We Need a Little Christmas

Last week I was in my mother-in-law's home and saw the Sears Christmas Wish catalogue on the coffee table. Doesn't it seem like it comes a little earlier every year? I can't decide if it is added pressure and stress or if the early reminder will relieve the pressure and stress in December.

My oldest daughter has always loved Christmas music. I used to start listening to it in late September because the month of December just isn't long enough to really enjoy all the great seasonal music. Every year, my daughter tries to convince me to put in a Christmas CD a little earlier. Last month she had an idea. Maybe I would let her and her sister play some one day a month, say the 25th since Christmas is on the 25th. The idea sounded fine to me, so I agreed, sure they would find it a novelty for one month.

Guess what yesterday was. That's right, the 25th. I assigned the kids the chore of washing all the walls and then went into the office to do some work. When I came out to see how things were going, they were singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. When my husband came home for lunch and heard what was playing, he just rolled his eyes. He maintains that Christmas music should only played in December and put away on December 26th, but he determined years ago that he lives in a weird household and tolerates our quirkiness with a smile.

So this family celebrates Super Bowl Sunday in our own peculiar way and we listen to Christmas music on the 25th of every month. It keeps life interesting. What strange things do you do in your own families?

P.S. I apologize in advance to my daughter's roommates. I hope you like Christmas music!

Good Morning

My dad and step-mom took my husband and me to see a theatre production of Singin' in the Rain tonight. It was thoroughly enjoyable. The man playing Cosmo Brown stole the show and had the whole audience in stitches. As I watched the show I got to thinking about how music from the movies and from musicals has influenced my life.

Whenever I'm a little down, or a little bored an old musical is bound to cheer me up. All of my children have learned to enjoy the old movies and will curl up with me to watch them. My oldest daughter loves to listen to Broadway soundtracks and sings along at the top of her lungs - a habit she picked up from me I'm afraid.

Somewhere along the line I began singing the song "Good Morning" to my children when I wake them up in the morning. I watched the movie Singin' in the Rain with my kids last week and when this song came on, my youngest daughter looked at me in surprise. "You didn't make that song up!" Nope. But I'll keep singing it. And since I am once again blogging in the almost morning hours I've decided to share it with you. Not me singing, but the amazing Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Conner. Enjoy!