Ho Ho Ho!!

I'm at my father's store today, hanging out with my mother, and waiting for my father to come back from a client job so we can order lunch (the natives in my tummy are getting restless). Mom & I dragged up the Christmas decorations and went to town in the store, trying to keep in mind not to let the garland hang TOO low so my father doesn't run into it all of the time. Of course, I had to add my own touches of festivity with signs of "HO HO HO!!" and "Merry Christmas!" posted around the counter. The Merry Christmas sign is for the customers but the HO HO HO is for my father....an inside joke. He loves to wake us kids up at the butt crack of dawn on Christmas day by yelling up the heat registers "HO! HO! HOOOO! Merry Christmas!!" When he does that it seems to echo throughout the house...much more effective than yelling up the stairs. It makes me giggle. The only one who can beat him at getting up early is my sister and she was up at 4:00 am last year. I heard her creep down the stairs and waited for her to come jump on me (which she did), begging me to get up so we can open presents. LOL Then we sicked the dogs on our brother to drag him out of bed. There's always lots of paper thrown everywhere (paper balls wadded up and thrown at other family members), lots of laughing (especially when my brother uses duct tape to wrap Dad's gifts), some gasping (jewelry) and always there are dogs right in the middle of everything. Our dogs even have their own stockings!!

However, back to the decorating of the store...Mom & I wanted to get everything up before Dad got back so he couldn't stop us. heheheh. It was a challenge, but we did it. We know he'll walk in and say "what is all this crap? Bah humbug!" He's joking of course.

He's going all-out this year. He has his Christmas lights up in true Chevy Chase Christmas style. Who needs lamps? Just turn on the Christmas lights! hee hee!