I've Created a Monster

I wasn't planning to pop in today, but after what transpired, I knew that I had to.  I've created a bit of a monster... but he's a happy festive one.  I got a bit of a surprise this afternoon... and I thought it would be fun to share it with you.  Plus, it's been a while since I've been able to blog in real time.  The past few weeks, it feels like I've either been writing things ahead of time, or playing catch up.  So it's refreshing to have two days in a row where I've been writing in the moment!  Now, about that monster...

I've often joked that Daddy and I created a holiday monster with Eliot.  I used to be the one doing all of our holiday decorating when we lived together in Woburn.  I started out decorating my first apartment, in Marlborough where I lived alone.  I'd decorate my tree and get all of my holiday stuff set up.  I even bought some lights to string around the railing on my small balcony.  Then, when Eliot and I moved in together in Woburn, I was still the one getting everything decorated for all of the holidays.

And I come by it naturally.  Mom decorates the entire house inside, and Daddy goes above and beyond outside.  For years, his collection of twinkling lights, pathway markers, blow molds and inflatables has grown.  It's become such a big display that one year when he was busy and he hadn't gotten much out, people in my small hometown literally thought he was sick or something was drastically wrong.

The first Christmas Eliot and I spent together was the one after our wedding back in 2012.  That was the first time he truly saw the depths at which my family decorated for Christmas.  And I think that was the year that everything changed... 

At one point before that, I vividly remember having a conversation with Eliot and his sisters about people putting their lights up Thanksgiving weekend.  At that moment in time, Eliot thought it was too early to do it.  I had to explain to him that some families do Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time since it's harder to travel during the holidays.  He said it made sense, but I could tell he still thought it was early.

My how times have changed.  It didn't take too long before Eliot wanted to make his own Christmas light display second to none.  He never put them up when he was a kid since his family is Jewish.  But he's fully embraced these traditions of my family, and we both figure it works since Hanukkah is also the festival of lights. 

As our own Christmas decor collection has grown through the years, Eliot has been itching to go outside earlier and earlier to decorate.  The past few years, he's wanted to go out in October when it's still warm out.  I've kept him in check since we have quite a bit of Halloween decorations to put out too, but the second that Halloween is over, watch out.  He's ready to rock and roll full speed ahead.  And I completely agree that it makes sense to do it when it's still warmer, even if it feels early.

Hence, the reason for this post.  Eliot came home from his weekly Saturday trip to the post office and told me that he was going outside to "do some work".  I assumed that he was going to be using our leaf mulcher to chop up some leaves.  It was a gorgeous day here in Maine with the temperatures in the mid-70°s.

About an hour after he went outside, he popped in and told me to come out when I had a minute.  I was bouncing between housework and computer work, but I went outside a few minutes later once I gathered that he was anxious to show me something.

I walked out into a Christmas wonderland.  Eliot had put up garland around the posts on our front porch.  They wound down the railing of the front steps.  I stepped out onto our Christmas doormat.  Then, I noticed that he'd also put out four of our smaller inflatables and the blue net lights that we put on the ground to make a "pond" display.

It looked great and we had fun walking around and admiring his hard work.  I went back inside to work on a few more things, but he spent another hour or so adding more to the display.  He strung more garland on the porch and experimented with some lights.  (We're going to change those around since he ran out of lights.)  He also added another blinking set to one of the larger trees near our driveway.  Finally, he ran a cord up to the end of our driveway so he could put lights on our mailbox.

This is only a very small fraction of the stuff that we have, but it's a start.  I hate how it gets dark so early this time of year, but I also love this time of year because you can see everyone's Christmas lights twinkling at night.  It's all how you look at things.

I like to joke that I've created a monster... but I'm more thankful than anything.  I'm glad that Eliot has fully embraced all of the fun and joy that decorating for the holidays brings.  He's my festive holiday monster and I wouldn't have it any other way!  °o°