It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!

How many Christmas movies can the Brown's watch in a week? So far we've watched Fred Claus, Four Christmases, The Grinch with Jim Carrey, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf on the Shelf (who knew there was a movie), Home Alone 2 (we don't have the first one), Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street (the old awesome one with Maureen O'Hara), It's a Wonderful Life, Shrek the Halls, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol, Ice Age a Mammoth Christmas...and all in a week. Because we had the stomach flu and a DVR. And some we've managed to watch several times. Being tethered to a couch, blanket, and bowl makes it easier I guess, but we all definitely have the Christmas movies down. Tree is up. Stockings are hung with care. We're out of hot chocolate already. Trans Siberian Orchestra cd has been playing. Lights are up outside. Kids Christmas cd has been playing. I'm ready for the Chipmunk Christmas song to have a scratch on it! We've got several Christmas craft projects in the works, thanks to Pinterest, but I'm still waiting to feel Christmas-y. I'm hoping the Living Nativity will help. It's pretty awesome. My kids call it the drive thru Jesus. This church in town builds a replica of the city of Bethlehem every year and they give you hot chocolate and a cd that narrates the story as you drive through. They even have live camels, which my kids think is awesome. I guess it just usually seems crazier and busier right before Christmas, but this year isn't, so it's a little odd feeling. I'm excited for the boys to see all their cousins. We are going to Laredo to see Daniel's brothers and sister and all of his siblings are going to be in one place, which used to be the norm, but hasn't been that way for over a year. Some of them have never seen Ben and he's over a year old, and by the way, decided today to stand up and walk across the room alone. Maybe he read my mind because I was thinking of taking him to the doctor. I'm not excited about the drive, but we are breaking it up with a trip to Six Flags, and on the way home we're stopping in Dallas to see my aunts, uncles, cousins, my cousins kids, and my grandmother, who will all be in one place, which I don't think has happened in a decade. Definitely won't be a White Christmas...oooh, I think I have that on DVD and we haven't watched it this year. If that fails, I guess we have to follow Buddy the Elf's advice. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. For everyone else's sake, I hope it doesn't come to that. I'm not exactly a songbird :)