defying my own expectations we actually got one of the trees decorated! with only one down and three to go, i'm sure everyone will get their fill of christmas tree pictures over the next couple of weeks.

kris has historically been the bastion of holiday cheer in our family and early in our relationship i and my inner grinch were more than a little shocked to discover that she enjoyed playing her copy of canadian brass christmas at very loud volumes starting about the day after thanksgiving and continuing up until the day after christmas.

but, ever so slowly over the years, i've been transformed from a curmudgeonly bah-humbug type into someone who takes some joy in the yearly rituals surrounding christmas.

and now i see that all the previous years were like some sort of holiday calisthenics, meant to condition my mind and body in preparation for the nearly overwhelming sense of joyousness that can develop when the holiday tunes are cranked up to eleven and the lights and bulbs and ornaments are adorned with care, all while little odin looks on, mesmerized by the blinking, flashing extravaganza.

it's almost impossible to imagine, given everything that's happened over the past 157 days, that next year he'll probably be helping us decorate his second very merry christmas tree.

so if you see me this year don't be suprised if you hear irving berlin's white christmas on rotation with ella and frank.

because this year, i'm a fully transformed holiday sap.

i'll probably even end up watching it's a wonderful life and wind up just like trixie's dad.