I’ve never been one to really get into the spirit of Christmas, or any holidays, really. Shopping, decorating, cooking; all of that is sort of a pain. Well, I do like to cooking part, but I like that all of the time, except when I feel obligated to do it. Such as at Christmas.

I’ve been happy to avoid as much of the hype as I can. Last year, when Grampa took us on the cruise and I didn’t even have to put a tree up, was an outstanding year. A couple of smallish presents for the kids, and I was done. I also don’t decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or anything, except what the kids might feel like doing.

But this year, I’m surprised to find myself getting into it a little. It helps that the kids are old enough to take over some of it; all I had to do was get the tree up and put on the lights on the tall part, and they did the rest. I found really cool presents for them, and I’m done with my shopping in time to look around and sort of enjoy it.

I did send out cards this year, and that means cards coming back in, which had understandably tapered off as I flaked for most of the last decade. And I’m delighted to see them, and it reminds me to keep this tradition up for next year.

Marv has invited us over on Friday to go caroling. He didn’t think I’d be interested, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I really am. He’s going to load up the flatbed trailer with some hay to sit on and decorate it with lights, and his family and friends are going to cruise the neighborhood wrapped in blankets and and singing, and then go back to their house for hot chocolate. I think the kids will really get a kick out of that, and I will too.

Of course, I promise not to sing (too loudly.) I may be slightly tone-deaf and I can’t carry a tune at all, but at least I know all of the words, thanks to teaching myself to read music and play the flute late in High School. The best thing I had to practice from was my sister’s piano book of Christmas music, so I played it all year long, no doubt annoying the hell out of the neighbors.

And on Saturday, my folks are coming down. This will be our Christmas, since I don’t get the kids on either day of the actual holiday (thanks, asshole!) We’re going to do presents, go out to dinner, and on the way home, stop at the Air Museum and enjoy their Christmas Tree Lane, with all of the antique planes done up in lights. I will drag along the tripod and try to get some cool family pictures, and may even make us all wear Santa hats. Or maybe not; don’t want to get too carried away.

But I find myself really looking forward to the season for the first time in years, and that’s cool.