December Birthdays, Do you mind holiday decorations before your birthday?

[PrairieAir]

The holiday season is upon us and dh and I had the same conversation we have every year (sometimes more than once in a year) about when to put up decorations. It came up earlier this year because his mom wants to decorate her house for Christmas next weekend since we are having Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I personally don't like to decorate until after Thanksgiving, but I want to get most of it out of the way as soon as possible after so I can be done and relax and enjoy the flurry of activity as much as it is possible for an introvert like me to enjoy it;) (I do like most of it, but sometimes it gets awfully hectic and I feel I can't breathe!)

 

Here's the problem. Dh's birthday is December 5th and he doesn't care for the pagan origins of some Christmas traditions or the craziness of the season. Over the years we have learned to compromise. We don't go all out with the decorations, we haven't had a full size tree in years, and I try to wait until after his birthday though that is not always possible. We always celebrate his birthday just as much as we celebrate mine or more since I'm not big into celebrating my birthday. He doesn't have any childhood trauma of having his birthday overlooked because of Christmas that is affecting his attitude towards the whole thing, but every year he complains.

 

Now, add to all that the fact that youngest dd, who was due on Dec. 3 or 4, was born on Dec. 14 and my mom's birthday is also on Dec. 2. It's a crazy time already. This year we will be going to San Diego for oldest ds' graduation from Marine Corps boot camp from Dec. 10-13. Dd wants to have a birthday party/sleepover still. AND dh seems to think (as always) that we shouldn't decorate until after his b-day and dd's b-day. Dd used to think the holiday decorations at her birthday were kind of special until dh convinced her otherwise:glare: (I never tried to tell her it was special. It's just how she saw it.) I want everything to be done and be perfect for when ds comes home on leave. I do not want to be running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I have been trying to figure out how to do things quietly without involving dh too much because I know he doesn't like it. It only came up this morning because of his mom.

 

Whew! Longwinded intro for a poll, but there's a little more. Dh says all December birthday people feel this way. Dd did not until dh swayed her. My mom does not and she has some of those painful childhood memories of having her birthday completely ignored. Most of the people I've known who feel this way have some bad experience associated with it, but dh has no such reason. I'd like to hear from other December birthday people. I strongly suspect that women and/or people who like decorating are the December birthday people who don't mind decorating before their birthdays.

 

I should also add that dh isn't being nasty about this. I think a big part of it is that he enjoys playing Mr. Grinch. Most of it is done in a teasing manner, but I really want to please everyone, so any hint that it bothers him or that he doesn't understand really upsets me. I'd love to hear tips for dealing with this along with seeing the poll results.

 

______________________

 

Ugh! My first attempt at a poll has failed! I don't know what I did. Could you please just answer:

1) I have a December b-day and holiday decorations before my b-day do bother me.

2) I have a December b-day and holiday decorations before my b-day do not bother me.

3) My husband or other family member has a December birthday and holiday decorations before their b-day do bother them.

4) My husband or other family member has a December b-day and holiday decorations before their b-day do not bother them.

Edited November 14, 2008 by PrairieAir

[Parrothead]

I know my mom always said that we couldn't decorate until after her birthday, December 12. I don't know if it is because of the birthday or the mess.

 

Personally I like Christmas so much that I can't imagine it being a problem to have a birthday during December. I'd look at it as double the fun.

[Bev in B'ville]

Mine's the first of those on December 6th. My parents made a family tradition of decorating for Christmas on my birthday. It was always a special time and I'll always remember it so. The others don't mind Christmas decorations as long as their birthday is done with a birthday theme (e.g. Birthday wrapping paper) and not just dismissed as part of the holidays. KWIM? Everyone gets to choose the restaurant or homemade meal of their choice on their birthday which also helps to make it special.

[PrairieAir]

Yes, that's how dd used to see it--double the fun and double the decorations. We've always done additional b-day decorations for her, a special meal, and a party. I couldn't stand to overlook a birthday just because we are busy with the holiday preparations!

[Tammyla]

My big day is the 25th and I love it, love it, but I think my mom deserves the credit. :grouphug:

[LisaKinVA]

My birthday is Dec. 30th... one of the often forgotten ones in the family (smooshed between Christmas Crazies and New Year's, everyone is on vacation and no one is thinking birthday). More people are thinking about taking the decor down.

 

So no, it doesn't much matter to me.

 

Of course, my dh is hoping baby Abby makes it here for New Year's Eve -- I kinda cringe at the thought (although, it might be less forgotten than mine!)

[Veronica in VA]

My birthday is the Dec. 22, and we are decorated long before that - but I am a little Christmas crazy. My parents were very careful not to let my birthday get lost in the Christmas rush and my dh does the same thing, though to be honest I think I would rather my birthday get kind of forgotten about nowadays - maybe I won't get a year older right? Between my birthday and Christmas sometimes I would get so excited I would get sick - lol! I have to say I like that my birthday is during the holidays.

 

Veronica

[momofkhm]

I never had a choice with my birthday on December 29, but I do like the decorations. I do feel special because they are there. And my birthday never got slighted. That was my mom's doing. She made sure it was Christmas and birthday. The only time she ever combined gifts was the year I got a dollhouse - the collectors kind not the toy kind.

 

Now I make sure dh does the same. I get Christmas gifts and I get birthday gifts.

[Garga]

My birthday is December 30th, and DH's is Dec 29th so it's after Christmas. I often take them down on the 26th. I hate having them up on my birthday.

 

However, this isn't so much about what the rest of us think. This man is your life partner. It's about you and him. :)

 

If he has asked you repeatedly not to put up the Christmas decorations until after the Birthdays, then why are you so intent on denying him his request? What if it were on the other shoe, and you had asked repeatedly for something from him and he refused to do what you asked? I'd be pretty hurt if my husband refused to do something that was important to me and then said, "Well, I took a poll and the guys at work think you're being unreasonable." Ouch.

 

Sounds like you two need a compromise. Like: Don't decorate before the birthdays, but he has to help you with it without grousing. (And you don't grouse either, about it being last minute.)

 

Or, he doesn't complain if you turn one room (even the bedroom) into a place where you can pull out all the decorations and sort them before the birthdays, so that right after the birthdays you can put it all out.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Garga_

[Jenny in Florida]

My daughter's birthday is December 15. We do put up some decorations before her birthday, but we wait to put up the tree until after. When she was little, this was partly because I didn't want the tree to be the focus of things, especially during birthday parties.

 

Basically, it's a fact of life that her birthday falls during the Christmas season, but I didn't want her special day to be overwhelmed by it.

 

Now that she's a bit older, we maintain the tradition. We start putting up decorations Thanksgiving weekend, and she frequently is the first one tearing open the boxes. But we still wait to put up the tree until the 16th. She has said she prefers it this way, but wouldn't be offended if we had to modify it for a good reason.

 

Edit: Oh, and I know this opens a whole different can of worms, but my birthday is on Halloween. When I was a kid, I loved it! I had costume parties for my birthday, and it always felt so special to have everyone celebrating on my day. Now that I'm older, I'm quite content to have my birthday "lost" in the larger celebration.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Jenny in Florida

[laurad1125]

I have a Dec birthday and don't mind the Christmas decorations. however, mine is 3 days before Christmas so I don't really have a choice.

 

I do tend to get bitter (in my not so good moments) about the whole thing, though and really appreciate it when DH or my mom go out of their way to honor my requests (even if they seem silly to them). FWIW....

[Michelle in MO]

My birthday is first, on December 9th. Don't ask me how old I am, but I'm at least older than this:

 

 

 

Let me give you our list of December events:

 

My birthday - December 9th

My mom's birthday - December 17th

My dad's birthday - December 24th

My youngest daughter's birthday - December 29th (just a few hours' shy of our anniversary!)

Our anniversary - December 30th

 

I've had to deal with the December birthday/Christmas/anniversary rush for so long that it's just become a way of life. I always felt sorry for my brother, who had to buy all those gifts for us!

 

We almost always decorate the house for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Everyone helps with the effort.

 

I think the only one who minds a December birthday now is my youngest, whose birthday is sandwiched after Christmas (translate: after all the excitement is over) and just before our anniversary. She's often asked to have a half-birthday in June, which I would be happy to do for her, but then when June rolls around she doesn't care anymore.

 

So---it's all a mixed-up jumble at our house, but I can't remember it being any other way, so we're just used to it!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

My birthday is Dec. 23rd. There just isn't any other way around it all. When I was a child my parents really worked to give me a birthday separate from Christmas, but, as I got a little older it all just kind of got mixed up together. I don't get too worried about it anymore, I'm just really used to it.

 

We have a lot of Late Nov.-early Jan events in our family:

 

Nov. 27--my dad's birthday

Dec. 16--my brother's birthday

Dec. 23--mine

Dec. 30--dh and his twin brother

Jan. 6--mil birthday

 

Dh and I usually celebrate Valentine's Day a little more special and just blow off our birthdays and Christmas since it just get's all jumbled together. It works so much better for us. We have money by then too!

[KatieJ]

My DD have early December birthdays and I always waited until their birthdays were over before putting up decorations. I always used birthday paper.

 

There really were no preexisting reasons as there were not any December birthdays in my family. But my brother was married while I was pregnant with our first. His wife's birthday is December 26th and she told stories of her having one extra present under the tree and it was just.."save this one for tomorrow" and It was always wrapped in Christmas paper.

I took that to heart and decided to not mix the December birthdays with Christmas.

I am not exactly sure now how the girls feel, but on the occasion that I have used a solid colored paper that came out of the christmas pile, let's say, blue or green, they tease me.

In their own homes they don't decorate until their birthdays either.

 

I do recall them saying on occasion that they couldn't really remember what they got for Christmas vs what they got for their birthday, even with my attempt to keep them each separate.

 

 

The craziest year was the year our DD was married and came back home to MI for Thanksgiving. We knew we wouldn't be seeing her for Christmas that year so we did:

Thanksgiving on THursday

Birthdays on Friday

Christmas including the decorations on Saturday!

Fun memory tho!

 

I would honor your DH request, but agree with the poster who said compromise and have him agree to help you put them up as efficiently as possible on the 15th after your DD birthday.

Edited November 14, 2008 by KatieinMich

[TraceyS/FL]

I"m a Nov 27 birthday, exactly 4 weeks before Christmas.

 

I don't "do" Christmas until after thanksgiving. That was always a big deal in my family since it was close to my birthday (and occasionally on it - like this year, the big 40!).

 

So that is the biggy in my house - you have to wait till after thanksgiving. We always got our tree that weekend (fresh cut).

[Just Another Jen]

This is our birthday season:

We have birthdays every 2 weeks from Oct 2- Jan 3. That includes our immediate family, my parents, siblings and his. Our entire family.

So its an expensive time of the year.

 

We decorate Thanksgiving weekend.

My Mom's birthday is Nov 25, My daughter's is Dec 1, One son is Dec 19- none of them mind.

My oldest is Jan 3 and he likes everything still up for his birthday.

[KarenNC]

My husband has a Dec. 5 birthday and my sister Dec. 10. Growing up I think we decorated right after Thanksgiving (but not sure, which is odd, now that I think about it). We didn't do a lot of parties for birthdays anyway---I had one traditional one with friends at age 5 and one with just family and one friend going out to dinner at 16. Other than that it was simply a cake with immediate family.

 

For a number of years we combined our annual holiday party with a birthday party for my husband and we did decorate ahead of time, primarily because our group of friends did a large round of parties for the holidays so weekends were scarce. In recent years, however, that has slowed dramatically and he has asked that we not decorate before his birthday. This has coincided with his growing desire to keep things in their proper season so that we can appreciate the joys of each part of the year rather than rushing for months toward one thing.

 

That said, ironically, we actually have two small undecorated trees set up at the moment in our sitting room:001_smile:. Wrestling the big artificial tree has become increasingly a pain over the years and every year we have said this is the year that we will buy a slimmer prelit tree to better fit our space. Of course then we have no extra money available to do so when the time rolls around or for the after Christmas sales. This year we picked up two 4 foot prelit trees on a great sale ($20 each) and are planning to use them in the room on tables flanking the loveseat. As we celebrate both Winter Solstice and Christmas (the American secular version), we will decorate one for each holiday rather than a larger mixed tree. Currently we have them set up undecorated to see if we like the way it looks in case we need to return the trees.

[joannqn]

However, this isn't so much about what the rest of us think. This man is your life partner. It's about you and him. :)

 

If he has asked you repeatedly not to put up the Christmas decorations until after the Birthdays, then why are you so intent on denying him his request? What if it were on the other shoe, and you had asked repeatedly for something from him and he refused to do what you asked? I'd be pretty hurt if my husband refused to do something that was important to me and then said, "Well, I took a poll and the guys at work think you're being unreasonable." Ouch.

 

Sounds like you two need a compromise. Like: Don't decorate before the birthdays, but he has to help you with it without grousing. (And you don't grouse either, about it being last minute.)

 

Or, he doesn't complain if you turn one room (even the bedroom) into a place where you can pull out all the decorations and sort them before the birthdays, so that right after the birthdays you can put it all out.

 

:iagree:

 

Your marriage is more important than the decorations.

 

As to our family...my son's birthday is December 31st. My goal was to always have the decorations down and put away before his birthday until my son told me he wanted me to leave them up. Now I don't have to rush it.

 

Now getting people to come celebrate his birthday is another issue altogether.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

Mine's the first of those on December 6th. My parents made a family tradition of decorating for Christmas on my birthday. It was always a special time and I'll always remember it so. The others don't mind Christmas decorations as long as their birthday is done with a birthday theme (e.g. Birthday wrapping paper) and not just dismissed as part of the holidays. KWIM? Everyone gets to choose the restaurant or homemade meal of their choice on their birthday which also helps to make it special.

 

I could have written this post except my birthday is Dec 4th and we only have three December birthdays. :-)

[PrairieAir]

I don't plan to take the responses here to dh and say, "See you're being unreasonable!" Not at all. I'm looking for insight to help me understand him better and, yes, it would help me understand if I knew other people who did not have bad childhood memories of combined Christmases and b-days felt the same. I knew someone who had a December 24th b-day and a not very nice childhood added to that and I could completely understand his bitterness during the holidays. (Though I think it would have been better for him to work through his issues rather than stew in them and make his own family miserable.)

 

I do compromise with dh. I almost never put up decorations before his birthday. The only trees we've had for at least the last six years are the small skinny fake trees that sit in our living room year round. (He likes them as part of normal decor.) I simply hang the special ornaments (kids get one each year) on those trees with no lights. I put a garland on the stairway and sometimes on the outdoor balcony and this is the only place that gets simple, white lights. I may put some greenery on the mantel and a few other places with more of a winter look than a Christmas look. I really don't go all out and I think I would do the greenery if we did not even celebrate Christmas to help brighten the dull winter months. Asking him to help put up the decorations after dd's b-day is out of the question. He has enough to do and would resent that. I have to do it all.

 

However, I think a little compromise on his end is in order as well. It is unfair to impose his attitude on dd when she originally liked having the decorations out. I told him this this morning. He said she is a smart girl and would have figured it out on her own. I told him that "smart" doesn't mean she would agree with him about it. My mom is smart and she enjoys decorating for Christmas on or before her birthday on Dec. 2.

 

The only alternatives I can see to putting decorations up and making other preparations sometime between the 5th and the 14th is to not do any decorating at all or to drive myself crazy trying to get it all done while ds is home visiting and miss spending some of that time with him. That doesn't seem right. I am not the only one in this house who appreciates the decorations and the traditions and usually once I have the garland up dh does say he thinks that's nice too.

 

Again, I'm not looking for validation from anyone about what I ultimately decide to do. I'm trying to find out if other people think this way too, if it is more a male/female thing as to where you come down on the issue, and perhaps understand dh's pov better. This is not some huge argument in our house. There is not marital dischord and strife over the issue. I'm trying to avoid hurt feelings on all sides, but I feel I always have to tiptoe around this and I would like to settle it and find something that works once and for all so that I can know how to proceed with my sanity intact.

_____________

Oh good grief! There's another comment saying my marriage is more important than the decorations. Perhaps I'm communicating poorly. I know my marriage is more important. If it were that sort of issue, I wouldn't be considering decorations at all.

 

I do appreciate hearing everyone else's experiences with December birthdays and how it affects your feelings about Christmas and Christmas decorations. Or any other winter holiday for that matter. Or any other seasonal holiday for that matter. Mine's close to Independence Day and that always made me feel especially proud. The fireworks were always for me and still are. Perhaps it's because my b-day holiday is just one day and the Christmas season is stretched out for a month of festivities that I'm having trouble understanding.

 

Please keep your stories and experiences coming. I really don't need marital counseling, though thank you for that as well if it appeared that I did need it.:)

Edited November 14, 2008 by PrairieAir

[RegularMom]

My birthday is Dec. 31 as well.

 

As a child, it never bothered me to have Christmas decorations up, but it was hard if people forgot about me, which happened sometimes in the flurry of New Year's Eve parties. My mom made an effort to make my birthday my birthday, though. She made a cake, and got some streamers and balloons and such. And gifts were always wrapped in birthday wrappings.

 

Now that I'm about to turn 40, people forgetting my birthday because they're more focused on New Year's doesn't bother me at all. :) And having Christmas stuff still up doesn't bother me either.

 

Also, my sister's birthday is Dec. 12. She never minded about Christmas decorations either. Of course, she's a Hindu now, so it probably doesn't come up all that much. ;)

 

I always felt bad for my mom in December though. She was a single parent, and didn't make a lot of money at all. December was always tight.

[rafiki]

.

[Tammyla]

You know, I'll be honest and say that the only time I resented or felt slighted was after receiving the same Christmas gift my sister did...But mine was marked Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday... and was in Christmas wrap. My little sister laughed and said...Hahaha...I got two presents. :confused: I'm happy to say I don't need therapy, but I still remember it.

 

Do you decorate for birthdays? If you do, I double decorate for him and your dd. He may be trying to protect your dd from feeling slighted. Imho..fwiw...I think your hubby is lucky to have you looking out for him and your dd.

 

No one forgets my birthday and what could have been a drag is such a blessing.

[LG Gone Wild]

I just love Christmas decorations. Of course, we have had our tree up all year.

[Amie]

My birthday is Dec. 27th, my brother's is the 28th. I've never minded the fact that my birthday was always mixed in with all the Christmas/New Year stuff. It's all I've ever known, so it's "normal" to me. ;) I love Christmas and Christmas decorations, and my birthday thrown in is just another fun thing. Growing up, my Mom always tried to keep some seperation between our birthdays and Christmas (like not using the leftover Christmas paper to wrap our gifts, etc.)--that being said, the Christmas decorations are usually in the background somewhere.

I like to decorate the weekend after (of?) Thanksgiving--it's my tradition--so I'd do whatever you want for Christmas (as a seperate event). And then do what you would normally do for a birthday on top of that on the appropriate day. :001_smile:

[akmommy]

Well my birthday is the 22nd and younger DD's is Christmas day so neither of us has ever had much choice there. I can't say that it has ever bothered me except when people would give me a gift and tell me it was was for both.

DD thinks having a Christmas birthday is special, "everyone" celebrates on her birthday. There is always an extra gift under the tree for her Christmas morning (in birthday or generic wrap) that she gets to open first and we have carrot cake for breakfast (she really likes carrot cake and it keeps me from feeling to guilty about cake for breakfast) .

She has expressed a little disapoinment in never being able to have a party on her actual birthday, but it really doesn't seem to upset her much.

My nephews is the 26th and his seems to be the most forgotten so I know he must feel a bit slighted.

[Garga]

Oh ok! Sorry for the marital advice! ;) To answer your originally intended question:

 

I personally never liked having Christmas by my birthday and there were no bad experiences about it as a kid.

 

I just mostly didn't like that I didn't have a special day in the middle of the year. Having a birthday near Christmas always made it feel like my birthday was just an after thought, even with the birthday paper and decorations down.

[mom2att]

My birthday is Dec. 26, and I vote this one:

 

2) I have a December b-day and holiday decorations before my b-day do not bother me.

 

I've always kinda liked having a "special" birthday. Besides, shopping the after-Christmas sales has become my birthday tradition, and that's fun!

[mom2att]

I can't say that it has ever bothered me except when people would give me a gift and tell me it was was for both.

 

 

Yup--I always hated this growing up!

[Night Elf]

My birthday is January 10th. Ever since I had my first Christmas as an adult with decision making power, I take ALL Christmas decorations down on December 26th. I don't even want a single Christmas item out when it turns January. My birthday was always mixed up with Christmas and I hated it as a child. My birthday presents would sit under the Christmas tree but I couldn't open them on Christmas day obviously. They'd stay under the tree until Jan. 1st when my mom would take the tree down. Then she'd put them under the coffee table, still out in plain sight, until my birthday. I'm so happy my kids do not have birthdays near gift-giving holidays.

 

I usually put the Christmas decorations out during the 2nd week of December. I don't like seeing them earlier and some stores around here have had them out since Halloween. That does NOT make me want to buy from them during the Christmas season.

[Carol in Cal.]

I never put up Christmas decorations before the week before Christmas, but that's not why. I do it because I like to focus more on Harvest, Thanksgiving, and Advent during that period, so I decorate for those.

 

When I was a kid, my mom wouldn't let us play Christmas records until after my birthday. I always wished that she would.

 

And I really liked having a December birthday. I still do. It makes the whole 2 months seem like one big party--Thanksgiving, Advent, My Birthday, Christmas, New Year's, Epiphany--all the big stuff happening in a row! And then we get to move toward Easter! It's all good.

[Kathy in MD]

I've never had a problem with having a birthday on the 23rd of Dec. My mom always said I got the best b'day presents because mine were purchased along wth the Christmas presents. We didn't decorate for my b'day, but then we didn't decorate for anyone. Wrapping paper was the same for me as it was for everyone else, the store bag. ;)

 

Our extended family had a family b'day party at the beginning of the year for all Dec b'day's and then I had an immediate family party on the 23rd. Up through upper grade school I also had parties for my friends.

 

However, I'm married to a Grinch. He's always looking for a reason not to put up a tree or decorations or travelling to my family for Christmas or........ His parents also don't properly (by my thoughts) celebrate Christmas. But, I've compromised a lot on other things, so I insist on celebrating Christmas all out. Luckily, his Grinch attitude hasn't affected our ds. One advantage of his family not celebrating Christmas in a big way is that there's never a discussion over whose house we're spending Christmas at :).

[runamuk]

My daughter and my BIL both have December birthdays (her's is the 23rd, his is the 28th).

 

When Elle was born, Pete called and asked us to always make sure her birthday was just that - her birthday. His birthday got rolled into Christmas every year. His birthday presents were opened at the same time the Christmas presents were opened - and they were wrapped in Christmas paper. He didn't get a special meal, a cake or a special day like his 5 siblings did.

 

We put up our decorations the day after Thanksgiving (it's all I can do to get my husband to wait that long), but on Elle's birthday, I decorate the dining room in whatever theme she wanted. This year there will be a HSM3 table cloth, plates and cups. Her gifts are unwrapped away from the tree and any birthday pictures don't include the tree. She gets a cake despite having holiday baking in the house.

 

She doesn't mind the holiday decorations because she knows that her birthday, even though it's 2 days before Christmas, is her own day. She says she kind of likes having her birthday so close to Christmas; my mom never gets her gifts to her on time, so she gets to open presents three days in a row.

[Gretchen in NJ]

My birthday is the day after Christmas. I only mind:

 

1. Christmas paper on my birthday present.

 

2. Mom my diving under the tree to grab one of my Christmas presents since she forgot to buy me a birthday present.

And, NO! I do not believe the story that it was really my birthday present and you wrapped it as a Christmas present and put it under the tree by mistake.:glare:

[Sandy in Indy]

Funny you should ask that...my bd is Dec. 5 and my brother's is Dec. 12. Growing up, we NEVER put up decorations before my brother's bday and for years (long after I had my own home) I didn't put them up until after the 12th. Guess it was ingrained! Now, we often decorate before my bd...and I really enjoy it. Our home dresses beautifully for the Christmas and I truly enjoy seeing it decorated.

 

Like Gretchen, I really only mind IF packages are wrapped in Christmas paper or it's a combo (this is for your bday and Christmas) present.

[skissugar]

We decorate the day after thanksgiving.. sometimes the weekend after depending on where we are. My birthday is Dec 29th .. 4 days after christmas and 2 days before new years. I have always loved the christmas decorations on my birthday. :)

[ABQmom]

My birthday is on December 5th too. My mom always made me a Christmas birthday cake, and the decorations were put up before my birthday. I loved it. I still love having the Christmas tree up before my b-day.

 

Dh has a birthday on December 26th. His mother always made sure that the Christmas decorations were taken down on Christmas night, so that his birthday was just that--his birthday. I personally think that was ridiculous, and told dh before we married not to expect the same thing from me. Ha! He really doesn't care though.

[Happy]

My son has a December birthday that we've always made special. I never considered not putting up the decor.

 

If your dh doesn't want the decor up until after the birthdays and if you want to spend time with your ds while he is home...then consider NOT putting any decor up this year. Okay, maybe a wreath on the door, but make life easy on yourself. Enjoy your family.