Those who know me well enough are WELL aware of my disgust for those around us who start playing Christmas music on November 1st. There are so many other events in November we have to get out of the way first – All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving… alas, the consumer greed kicks in no matter what I say. Add in the fact that so many of you throw the stuff out a day or two after Christmas (when we should be celebrating THROUGH January 6th, but I digress), and you can pick up what I’m putting down.

This past weekend, I found myself faced with a small conundrum. With a rare day off, there was an opportunity to be quite productive in the new home since we have been living out of boxes for the last few weeks. However, my lovely red-headed daughters had very different plans – as they were determined to set out our Christmas decorations to compliment the neighbors who had already done so.

Naturally, the idea seemed rather offensive to me at the surface level. How could my own offspring suggest such an atrocious idea? *Dad mode kicks in* Because they see sparkles, glitter, and all the pretty lights, you dumb dumb. Just because logic and reason works in your favor at the age of 36 doesn’t mean an intelligent 3 year old will grasp the concept of patience being a virtue in this instance (let alone my bride, who quickly sided with her daughter in hopes this meant trips to Hobby Lobby and other specialty stores for even more decorations).

As parents, we learn quickly to pick our battles wisely. While I could certainly stand my ground (as I began to) on principles I have held near and dear… those principles were also being applied in very different phases of life. Who says you can’t assemble that deck box in the garage while the girls unwrap ornaments? Who says you can’t go hunting through a dozen tubs for the constantly missing TV remote while they find the perfect place to position the wooden reindeer in the living room?

I guess what I’m trying to get at here is this – the lesson I learned this weekend is to not let the list of action items you have get in the way of making precious memories with your little ones. Of course, the list of things I need to tackle is never-ending… but they won’t be this little for very long, and I will treasure the looks on their faces when they saw the finished product of a decorated tree for the rest of my life.