How do you know it's Christmas?

I heard this on the radio this morning, and it really provoked my thoughts.

How do you know it's Christmas? What has to happen, who do you see, etc, that really says to you "It's Christmas!"

For me, I have to see "How the Grinch stole Christmas", the cartoon version. I saw the Jim Carrey version early in December, and it wasn't quite the same. I remember watching this every year, and knowing parts by heart. The rhyme and song never grow old to me.

So I wondered, what has to happen for others to know that it is Christmas?

Update on East St. living

So this is going to require a little pre-story, to the story...

There is a couple who live above us, who evidently have a baby (~1 year old) who cries a cry that would curdle your blood. This kid knows how to cry. This is a "wake-you-from-dead-asleep-not-even-my-baby" cry. We hear this kid crying at all odd hours; when we wake up, when we're asleep (hence the title of the cry), when we're chillin watching TV, when we're lounging around the house on a Saturday....any time. And every time, It's an added birth control. I feel for these parents. I truly feel so sorry for them, and I've never even met them, probably because they spend every minute she's not crying to catch a little shut-eye. And I never know what she's crying about, I never hear anything that would should suspicious or make me think she has a reason to cry....but I think she hates nap time,...or she just likes to drive her parents crazy. (both are reasons legit)


So, onto the main reason for the blogging:

SHE FINALLY LAUGHED!! YAY!!! Friday night, as I was lying down and feeling like I was going to die from this constant cold bug, I heard the trampling of little girls feet following by that scream that says "I-wanna-scream-even-though-I'm-not-scared". Here is the narrative as heard from the floor below them:

Father-like voice: "Rooarrrr!!"
Little girls: run and scream and giggle uncontrollably.

Repeat above steps for 20 mins.

Mother-like voice: repremanding the father and unable to make out what exactly was said.
Father-like voice: "I'm Sorry....." continues on in incomprehensable words I cannot make-out.

5 quiet mins later:

Father-like voice: "Rooarrr!!"
Little girls: run and scream and giggle uncontrollably.



This was so much fun, I really wanted to be a fly on the wall in their house. I sat and listened for what seemed like forever until I finally fell asleep (to the help of some Nyquil)

That night, the little girl did not cry.