Fall Decorating

 

Like clockwork, when September 30th turns into October 1st, the decorating bug bits me square on the bottom.

I dream… I plan… I obsess… I shop… I plan again… I go a little crazy!

 

It was a Tuesday. A miraculous lull fell upon our typically busy day.

MY MIND: “I don’t have to wait until the weekend. I can decorate now!  NOW… HA HA HA!!”

 

Running up to the attic, I took inventory of the mess created by our lack of strategy packing up the holiday boxes the year before. I almost lost heart.

Shaking off my regret… refocusing my mind… pulling up my pants… tightening my laces… I got back to work. I moved… balanced… rearranged… broke a sweat and finally brought down all 5 heavy boxes of Fall treasures.

Widows open… pumpkin/sage candle lit… Billie Holiday’s “Autumn In New York” playing… the kids nowhere to be found… Oh, I was ready to make holiday magic!!

 

In true “mother with young” fashion, I decorated in record time. What used to take me 2 days to think about… set up… step back… ponder… reposition…  step back again and so on… took me an hour and a half to finish. Revealing in the high that I’d worked hard and actually completed something, I took a proud look around.

It was officially fall at the Moderate House!

 

The day before this glorious afternoon, I’d prepped Moderate Daddy for his weekend job of getting down the Fall boxes. He cheerfully agreed. Moderate Daddy is a happy helper and my “lover of all things holidays” but I still didn’t like adding to his weekend load.

So, to top off my excitement that our house was covered in a bounty of fall beauty, Moderate Daddy’s load was now lighter.

I was thrilled to surprise him.

Approaching the front door, he’d be welcomed by our friendly, wood and iron scarecrow. Then as he crossed the threshold, he’d be warmly greeted by this…

 

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Next, he’d make his way into the living room to see this…

 

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Orange pumpkins, earth-toned leaves and woodland creatures donned the rest of the house.

Fall was everywhere!

 

Hearing the front door open, I put down the laundry and waited for him to enter the bedroom to lavish praises upon the holiday goddess that is his wife.

 

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Wide-eyed and smiling, I awaited my praises.

 

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He silently stared at me so, to help him out, I showed a little teeth. Ninja Turtle smiling would jog his memory of the warm holiday “hello” he’d just received by my decorating!

 

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Okay… he needed a more direct jogging.

 

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Weeping bitterly, I washed my face and went to bed early.

As wives… as mothers… we work hard, we spend our valuable time, we skip lunch and we sacrifice our precious brain cells in order to make the holidays a delight for our families. Our heart desires to create lasting memories during these short years when everyone is living under one roof. All we need in return, to help us soldier on, is to be noticed, to be thanked… to be loved!!

Actually, I laughed… a lot. (I stand by the above rant though) I set myself up for this emotional bubble burst. You see, Moderate Daddy is the most unobservant person I’ve ever known!

Plus, if I’m truly honest, I don’t decorate for him, I decorate for me… I love being surrounded by beautiful treasures!!

Oh crap… I just saw the Christmas bug!

 

SIDE-NOTE: I’d planned on writing this post a month ago but sickness came calling and everyone but Middle answered.  So here it is one day before Thanksgiving… I’ll call it a win.

 

What about at your house?  Is it decorated for fall? Is it already decorated for Christmas? Have y’all stayed well? If not, feel free to tell me about your ills. We’ll have an internet drink together… ohhhh and a nap!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving (don’t forget to pack your stretchy pants Thursday!),

Your Moderate Mama

 

Category : LIFE/FUN
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