Decorating Doubts

This year, Thanksgiving — always on the fourth Thursday in November — was November 22nd.  That’s the earliest possible date the holiday can fall (for the record, November 28th is the latest).  We usually wait until the first full weekend in December to do most of our festooning (don't often get to use that word), but it seems that Christmas decorating has been in full force around town almost since we bid adieu to Halloween. That being said, I didn't waste much time getting our Nutcracker tree  up and decorated two days ago. I wrote about our tree two years ago, here and here, should you doubt my fanaticism.  This year there are some exciting new developments:

The Rat King and his cohorts have taken up residence in the Dining Room.
They've spent the last few years in the upstairs hallway and were ready for some
more attention.

This continues to be my favorite ornament on the tree.

This small Christopher Radko nutcracker ornament was a gift to my daughter
from her 6th grade Latin teacher who had attended her Nutcracker performance.
(Thanks Mrs. Culbertson!)

Oddly, I know, the mouse king is my favorite character.  Consequently, this
is the newest ornament on our tree.

Most of my nutcracker collection loves their new HQ; standing at attention on top of
our dining room china cabinet.

The tree skirt won't be ignored.

Maybe I'll be sick of all this Christmas adornment by the second week of December.  I can say with certainty, it won't be up until the Epiphany, well . . . except perhaps this little tree.