While I'm writing this I'm also chatting with my Mom who is trying to support her idea that it's okay for a Christmas tree to be very small. When I was growing up we often had no Christmas tree, or if we were lucky we might have had a Christmas tree that was pathetic enough for Charlie Brown. To be fair, we always traveled at Christmas and were rarely in our house, however depriving your children of Christmas traditions can go one of two ways. You could end up with a child like my sister, whose life doesn't revolve around Christmas decorations. Or you could end up with one like me who now that's she's an adult refuses to take the Christmas tree down until at least February.

Unfortunately for me, life is always getting in the way of my extreme decorating instincts. Jordan and I have been house-sitting for my in laws since July, and they are due back in about a week and then my sister-in-law is also coming. I think at that point we are allowed to put up the Christmas tree. In the meantime I am trying not to be too jealous of the decorations I see and distracting myself by baking Christmas cookies. I made a warm-up batch today; these gingerdoodles always get eaten so fast that I've taken to hiding a few so that I can enjoy them for longer than a day.

Toby loves cookies almost as much as I do. He always helps with baking, and is also very attentive when ice cream is being made.
A dog after my own heart.