Seriously, 'Tis the Season? I'm usually one to adorn my house with it's Christmas best a bit early but by early, I mean the week before Thanksgiving. About a week or so ago, I saw my first Christmas commercial on TV and the toy books certainly are arriving in the mail. Last Tuesday alone, we received 6 TOY catalogs...yes...all in one day. We drove up to my Mom's house Monday night and her house (including the front porch) is fully decorated. When we pulled up Evan asked me why Mimi had her Christmas stuff out. Then he said, "She must be mistaken and thought it was Christmas already!" LOL
Normally, I can't wait until some crazy person starts decorating so that I can begin. You see, that's my gauge, then I can begin, but I have to be the first one to decorate our porch. I know...weird.
Anyway, Last year, I was so stressed out when the decorating began because I was 8 months pregnant and HUGE! I certainly couldn't climb up in chairs or on ladders to do my "normal" Christmas decorating, so my wonderful Clay did it all for me. Do you remember that episode of Friends when Monica lets everyone help decorate the tree? Monica is very controlling of the tree, which ornament goes where, which way it's turned, etc., so they call her, "The Christmas Natzie". Well, that's what Clay called me last year. LOL
This year decorating brings a bit of stress again. I'm not used to this...this Christmas Decorating Stress! I typically LOVE decorating for Christmas. This year the stress is brought on my the fact that we have two 10 month old babies crawling around. We have 4 trees...one in the kitchen, one in the upstairs foyer, one in the playroom, and one if the living room. It's the living room tree that's stressing me out. Our living room is the only room that the babies have free range in, to crawl and pull up on whatever they want. The living room is also where our formal tree is located. We have a massive tree, filled with lots of wonderful ornaments that we special order each year, including lots of pricey Christopher Radkos and the babies don't get the concept of don't touch, yet!! We can't not have a living room tree, so I don't know what to do. We thought about buying one of those big gates to wrap all the way around it, but come on, that's $100 we don't have.
So who knows what we'll do...but...'Tis the Season to you all!
Just my thoughts of the day... I know...They're crazy!
6 comments:
We didn't have a tree one year when JJ was crawling or walking - and honestly, right now I couldn't tell you what year it was! The memories of the Christmas still came without the tree -- and it was way more fun pulling out the ornaments after such a long break! For the pictures by the tree we used my parents' tree! :) Don't stress - enjoy! And Merry Christmas way too soon to you! I decorate the 2nd week in December! Debbie
One of my two favorite Chistmases as a family was three years ago when we rented a rustic cabin up in NH so we could get away from all the craziness, and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas as a new family. The cabin was warmed by a wood stove, and the cook stove was a wood stove as well. Our tree wasn't a tree at all, but Pine branches we gathered from the woods (Mike wanted to cut a tree down, but I couldn't see the logic in killing a tree for the 5 days we would be up there.) Anyway, we got huge pine branches from the woods, sat them in a big bucket of water, used the two light sets we brought from home for that purpose, then used candy canes, some mini ornaments that came in a box of holiday "crackers", and made the rest. Ironically, that year Skip had brought a "gift" for us up to the cabin, that he had made in Preschool. We hadn't unwrapped it, but when we were talking about what to put on top of the tree, Skip INSISTED we open the present. It was a hand made star! Perfect! I'll never forget how proud he was! I have a picture of it somewhere, I'll send it to you. I had printed a paper manger off the web, which required coloring, then assembling. We all worked on it, and it was awesome!
We hung our long stockings that we wear for skiing on the chimney, and there you go, we had the *perfet* Christmas...
I've always loved the holidays, but the older I get, the more I realize it's not about the stuff, it's about family & friends, and being at peace with everything around us.
For me, I'd forego the tree in the living room... Think of it this way - 20 years from now, will the kids look back at this Christmas (okay maybe they'll need some pictures to help them remember WHICH Christmas) will they remember the perfect tree in the living room, or how happy the day was? That might help you decide :)
Though very touching and very true that we don't have to have a tree...Evan would have a fit (southern talk) if we didn't put up our "big" tree. He loves it and that is the tree that we put HIS special adoption ornaments on.
Judy, that sounds like an awesome trip and an awesome Christmas filled with very special memories.
Last year when Braden was 11 months old at Christmas we still decorated our tree....our ornaments just started halfway up the tree so that he couldn't grab them. Yes...VERY TACKY..yet practical for an 11 month old. We really toned down our decorations last year, but it was our most memorable Christmas ever. When I think back about last year I don't even think of our decorations, I just remember how excited we were that we had a son to share Christmas with. And I wouldn't stress so much about this year because next year is going to be worse! They may understand "Don't Touch" next year but I doubt that they will listen! Or they will pretend to until you leave the room! Welcome to my world of Terrible Twos (almost)!
My stress comes mostly from not wanting to change too much because of the babies for Evan! I don't want him to miss out!
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