What Christmas really costs. And it's gone up this year, even.

In our house, the stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care - they're too full of stuff and it would interfere with my mother's annual Christmas theme. Readers of my site will remember Dude, Where's My Car? Christmas, and last year's Menthol Christmas (all menthol blue, the tree, the ornaments, the lights, everything). Well, this year, it's Buy Weird Tiny Houses At The Thrift Store And Paint Them To Look Like A Medieval Village Christmas. "Medieval Village Christmas", for short.

We made my Swedish grandmother's buttercrunch toffee yesterday, and the liquor-y fixings are tucked in the liquor cupboard with care, in hopes that my martini glass soon will be there. Dinner at the proto-in-laws' tonight, prezzies with my family, and the Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD. The gorgeous tree full of little white lights (give my boy credit for the best taste on earth), good coffee, time to knit, wearing my Santa Baby pajamas to the exclusion of all else... (ok, so the pattern's called Sexy Snow Girl, I like calling them Santa Baby pajamas, despite the fact that horrid Kirstie Alley Pier One commercial's ruined the song for me temporarily).

Wow. For the first time in a long time, I'm really, really liking Christmas.