I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I'm sure part of it is having a new baby in the mix, which means less time for decking the halls and falalalalalaing and all that.

We decorated our tree on Saturday night in the midst of Eli's Gas Attack 2011, each of us taking turns hurriedly hanging ornaments and frantically trying to shush a wailing baby - not exactly the relaxed and romantic eggnog-and-Bailey's fests of years past. The rest of the house is kinda-sorta decorated. There's a wreath on the door and candles in the windows. I finally took the fall gourds off the dining room table (and they're now on the sideboard). And I've eaten more of the Christmas cookie dough raw than I've actually baked. Still...I made the dough! That's the hard part, right?

I've been recording Christmas specials since the first of December, but finding time to watch them is hard when staying awake to 9pm constitutes a wild night. In the next 10 days we have to watch Charlie Brown, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon, Rudolph, Home Alone, and a bunch more. So far we've managed to see Elf and the Grinch. We pretty much have to watch one Christmas show per day to get all the essentials in before the big day.

The weather isn't helping my Christmas spirit either. It doesn't feel like the holidays when the grass is green and I'm wearing a spring jacket outside. Not that I'm complaining, since being snowbound with a newborn or not able to take our daily walks because it's minus 30 outside doesn't sound appealing at all. It's just easier to make merry when there's a little snow on the ground or when mittens are a must. 

Despite the craziness around our house lately I'm trying my best to make things feel as Christmasy as possible. I've been listening to Christmas tunes, mailing out our cards (better late than never) and wrapping presents while the baby's sleeping. There's hot chocolate in the cupboard and clementines and nuts on the counter. Slowly but surely it's starting to feel like the holidays.

In order to get our Christmas mojo back, here's what we'll be doing the next few days...

Dec. 14 - see Neptune Theatre's Christmas production of The Jungle Book
Dec. 15 - attempt to make gingerbread men
Dec. 16 - pick out or make a Christmas ornament for Eli
Dec. 17 - put the outside lights on the house
Dec. 18 - go for a walk to look at all the lights in our neighbourhood
Dec. 19 - watch a Christmas movie
Dec. 20 - Starbucks date & check out the decorations in our old neighbourhood
Dec. 21 - have a Bailey's and coffee drink. Yes, this is monumental and deserves its own day.
Dec. 22 - eat Swiss Chalet festive specials
Dec. 23 - write Eli's first Santa letter
Dec. 24 - possibly Christmas eve church service; do another drive around to look at lights and our regular Christmas Eve tradition of opening one gift and watching a movie.

I hope by this time next week I'll be feeling more ho-ho-ho and less bah, humbug.