Tis the season?

Okay, I know that it's both a well-accepted and well-lamented fact that the holiday season seems to start earlier and earlier each year.  It was very strange to see the Christmas decor section fly up at Target on November 1, as soon as the Halloween merch was relegated to a stuffed clearance section.  Lately, the Black Friday buzz seems to get louder and louder (as stores open earlier and earlier).  My point: I truly love the holidays as much as the next girl, but I usually try to hold back on unbridled enthusiasm until at least the weekend after Thanksgiving.

But today I saw evidence that my stance is wavering.

Josh and I were out and about this morning, and upon return, I opened the passenger door and looked at the snow next to the curb and saw some tracks in it.

Did I sensibly chalk it up to a dog or some sort of large, leggy rodent?

No.

I yelled, "REINDEER!" out loud - loudly - to no one in particular.  This means that either I truly am an eight-year-old at heart or that the holiday spirit has gotten its grip on me and infiltrated my bones.  I choose the latter.  Tis the season to be jolly!