it's not time, yet!

(please bear with me and my retelling of this story.. i do seem to blabber on.)

my brother came over yesterday and commented about my christmas decorations being up. (growing up the decorations would be put up the day after thanksgiving and come down new years day)  i informed him (after i researched for myself) that the correct time to take down the decorations is the twelfth night of christmas.  that falls on january 6th.  when he asked why,.. i had to inform him all about the epiphany and how the three kings came to visit the baby jesus on that day.  he looked at me confused and claimed that we were taught that the three kings came well before the 12th day of christmas (and to be honest, that's exactly what i remembered too.. but being as i enjoy giving him grief - i continued to spew my wiki knowledge).

true to form he started to return the grief.  "Well then, in that case, no nativity should come with kings!"  it was then that i was reminded of a friend teasing me about how we put baby jesus in the nativity at the same time we put them on display (instead of putting him in on christmas eve/day).  my brother then threw out the idea that that next year we should do things differently.  we should start the kings at the edge of the mantle and each night (after christmas) we'll ease them on down the road toward the nativity - as if they are following the star all the way - down our lengthy mantle - to the baby jesus.  then he had a brilliant idea (and trust me those don't come very often for him).  i had told him the reason i gave my friend for putting our baby jesus out early was that if i held him back, i'd be sure to forget to add him on christmas.  he said that instead of our christmas mouse that fills each little pocket of our christmas countdown calendar we use our baby jesus!!

seriously!?  i can picture him saying "whaaaaaaat!?  i'm the baby jesus yooooo!

OH EM GEE.  i busted out laughing.  what a great concept!!  i can't wait for december 1, 2013.