The GGA Project -- Day #305 "October Santa"

The lunch hour today found me at a swank little bistro near my work called Costco.  LOVE it.  Best cheap eats ever.


Anyway, since I had a whole hour to savor, I decided to look around a bit to see what new whatnot had been palletted in.


I'm normally in the camp of people who are super annoyed by Christmas stuff being brought out for sale alongside back-to-school or even just before Halloween comes.  But Halloween is still almost 3 weeks away and I was not at all disturbed to find Christmas lawn ornaments staring me in the face right off the bat.


I guess that's one of the differences a child can make in one's life.  I've found myself eager to not only celebrate but to decorate for every holiday.  Last week I put a string of colored ghost lights above my bed and Monkey's crib, some colored gel spider and jack-o-lantern clings on the full size mirror in our room, and a giant web (complete with spider) across our bedroom window.  I never do stuff like that.  But having a child has made me excited about watching his own sense of wonder as our living space transforms to celebrate the passing seasons.


In the house, my Mom put Halloween themed cutouts on the doors and mirrors, decorated a large black potted tree branch with all things Halloween, and made some pumpkins they'd bought with Monkey at a pumpkin patch into "mumkins" by gluing eyeballs on them and wrapping them in medical gauze.  The boy loves all of it!  :)


So anyway, not only did I not even flinch at the Christmas stuff lining the aisles at Costco, I took the opportunity to participate in


Today's New Activity: Christmas Recon


I took a picture of this thing I want to buy for my son (it's a secret) because it's large and I need to discuss it with my parents--as in I need to find out whether they can live with this thing taking up so much space wherever it would end up.  And I also couldn't pass up two of the cutest and softest pairs of footed pajamas (or jim-jammas as well call them in this house), which I already bought to stash away for a couple of months.


I love this part of being a Mama.  I love thinking about my son and the things he enjoys and imagining what would make him smile.  Sometimes he has loved a toy immediately, sometimes it grew on him eventually, and sometimes it never quite took.  But as he grows and his tastes become more apparent, it's getting easier to look at something and know that it would bring absolute joy to his face.  I live for those moments.  And I have a feeling I'll be stashing a number of little happy-makers away as December grows near.