Finding the spirit

I am normally all *over* Christmas. And I suppose I appear at least to be all about Christmas this year. My house is decorated, tree has been up since a few days after Thanksgiving - though I still have to get AB to bring in the ladder to put the last few ornaments up top and the star up. The star, which is fine. But I want a pretty angel. A really pretty angel, not one with a contorted plastic face, but an elegant, classy looking angel. I have yet to find her after at least 8 years of looking... and when I finally find her I will likely pay whatever the asking price.

Presents are bought, but not wrapped. I will wrap one evening next week while everyone sleeps. I have one or two last minute things to grab, but for all intensive purposes I am done. And not to mention, I am thrilled about my purchases, some I just know are going to really be reveled in by the recipients. Buzz Lightyear is going to be a huge hit. As is the Halloween clearance kid sized, jet pack, wings and gloves that Leif has NO idea about. The camera will be a great present, and he is already talking about taking pictures of his new kitty with it.

Leif's annual Christmas ornaments are made and ready to be distributed to family.

But something hasn't quite clicked with me yet. And I don't know what it is.

Maybe it is the 65F weather earlier this week - even though we DID have snow last week. 65F is just wrong in December. (Tomorrow will be much more appropriate at 25F.) Or maybe it is that I am not stressing about holiday travel as we actually stay put this year. Maybe I am just too preoccupied with trying to maintain step with the rest of my family's life and schedule. Maybe it is the deluge of colds in my house. (Love this video - thanks Jo.) Maybe it is not having wrapped presents under the tree (which I am fearing a little... though so far Leif HAS left the two packages alone that arrived from my sister once I told him that he couldn't open his until Christmas). Maybe it is the bah humbug attitude of some family members. (Not my family of course, they are all the perfect Christmas revelers.)

Or maybe it was my lost Muppets Christmas cd.

I was going to burn a copy this morning since last year I uploaded it to the computer. I had been sorely missing Miss Piggy singing "FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!" and squealing "PIGGY pudding?" and Scooter replying, "no figgy pudding, it's made with figs... and bacon".

This morning I found it. I had scoured my cd case a few times already to no avail. But apparently it never made it back to the cd case last year and instead stayed out in the repository of regularly played music next to the cd player - despite it not being "regularly played" over the last year. (AB might have flung himself out a window.)

This morning we had a Muppets fest on the way into school and I am feeling better, a little more Christmas spirit.

Now if my son would quit yelling, "mommy please don't sing, I want to listen to the music" from the back seat.