Saturday, December 20, 2008

It's a Charlie Brown Christmas

Mental note to self: plan ahead for Christmas next year.

I've pretty much given up on sending out Christmas cards this year. I haven't written the letter, I don't have good pictures to put in the card (nor are they printed), and by the time you read this, I'll be on my way to St Louis to visit with the in laws for a few days.

The wee ones have also not visited Santa. I haven't wrapped a single present. My husband's gifts have been planned for a month, but I haven't actually bought them yet. Oh, and two gifts for my mom and my in-laws will be arriving after the Blessed Day. Oops.

I actually blame much of it on Little Miss being in the hospital all last weekend. Last Friday was my day to get the Christmas letter and pictures done, and the cards were to go out last Saturday. Obviously that didn't happen. And work has been an absolute bear lately with me working until 7:30 on a few nights, plus working on my off days. That's kinda thrown a crimp into my life. I still need to plan better though.

Our tree is a good example. I refuse to have a non-live tree. I tried to go look at fake trees last Christmas, and I tried to find one I could live with but I just couldn't do it. In fact, I really prefer to go to a tree farm and cut down my own. I love the experience of doing that, and I'm sure the wee ones would, too. There was never a free weekend day that we could have gone though. Oooo, brilliant me. I'm going to write that date on the calendar for next year right now.

See. My brain does work sometimes.

In any case, we finally went to Home Depot to get our tree. Another mental note to self: don't get a tree the weekend before Christmas. I literally had six trees to choose from. And they were just a tad picked over by that point. If only I'd taken my camera so you could see how sad those empty tree boxes looked.

Instead, we came home with this:



All it needs is a little love, right? And maybe a blanket wrapped around the bottom?

Fortunately, we have plenty of lights to weigh down some of the branches. The only problem with weighing down the branches is that it exposed ummm light midway up through the tree. Oh well. That's what ornaments are for, right?

The wee ones got right on that. They had so much fun hanging ornaments on the tree!






Let's just say it all together now. Ready? Awwwwww.

I promise. There was no fighting over who got to hang what ornament. There were no tears when all the Santa and Frosty ornaments were hung. No pushing and shoving occurred at all. No one grabbed ornaments out of anyone's hand, nor did anyone purposely knock ornaments off the tree that someone else had hung up.

Another mental note to self: do not decorate the tree just before bedtime when they're tired next year.

In the end, we ended up with a lovely tree. See?


And yes, the ornaments were hung in clumps. Raise your hand if you think I left the ornaments in clumps. What, not a single one of you raised your hand? You must know me too well. Yep, I had to more artfully rearrange the clumps. They were disturbing my tree zen.

Oh. You want a picture of the whole tree put together? Yeah, sorry. There wasn't enough love in this house to magically turn the Charlie Brown tree into a miracle. Maybe next year. When I cut down a beauty all by myself.
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On the plus side, I'm really realizing how much I love my ornaments. Don't they look all fancy and expensive? I got them at Fields years ago on clearance each year after Christmas. They're actually laquered paper mache and ... unbreakable. Kids or cats can knock them down and no harm, no foul. The actually breakable ones only the adults hang up. And we put them much higher in the tree.
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At least we had fun decorating it, right?
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10 comments:

justme December 20, 2008 at 4:18 PM  

looks great...

hubby always says how he will do the outside better next year, he never does, he waits till the last minute to do them and then realizes they suck...hate it.

justme December 20, 2008 at 4:18 PM  

looks great...

hubby always says how he will do the outside better next year, he never does, he waits till the last minute to do them and then realizes they suck...hate it.

Melisa Wells December 20, 2008 at 4:20 PM  

I love that you had to artfully rearrange the clumps. As you already know by now, I would have done the same thing. (well, if I weren't Jewish and actually had a tree. LOL)

But then I'd feel a little guilty not leaving my kids' handiwork alone. Just a little bit.

And then I'd totally get over it, telling myself that I am a great mother in many *other* ways and my kids love me the way that I am, control freak or not: hee hee!

anymommy December 20, 2008 at 4:24 PM  

Right! That is by far the most important thing. Your first line cracked me up. Me too! That's my plan for next year too. No cards here either.

Cookie December 20, 2008 at 7:37 PM  

Christmas isn't exaclty my favorite time of year. I often feel overwhelmed too. I'm glad your daughter is feeling better. I blame my lack of preparedness on this crazy snow and my kids not having school the last week of December that they were supposed to have school.
But the tree is always fun for the kdis! We used to get a real one too. Then someone gave us their fake tree and I've been using that one ever since.

Aunt Julie December 21, 2008 at 7:38 AM  

I always loved the look of the tree when the wee ones decorated it at my house. I actually have a friend who has a tree especially for the wee ones, and then another for the rest of the family. All the ornaments on the wee ones' tree are bunched along the bottom!

Michelle December 21, 2008 at 8:52 PM  

Feener - You lie, but I'm ok with that :) We actually do no outside decorations at all... and I wonder sometimes what that says about us when so many of our neighbors do. Then I decided I don't have time to care ;)

Melisa - Of course you'd have to do the same thing if you weren't Jewish. Duh! ;) And OMG I so did the same moment of guilt over disturbing their hard work. You're freaking me out here!

Anymommy - You totally get a pass since you'd have had to do your cards so early to have them arrive on time. I think I'm going to try to do New Years cards though. I have to do something....

Cookie - Yes, it's the crazy snow ;) Actually, a lot of it is that last weekend was my weekend to do a lot of the prep work for the cards which obviously couldn't happen!

Veggie Mom - Ooo, two separate trees. That's an interesting idea. I'll have to noodle on that potentially for next year!

angela | the painted house December 21, 2008 at 11:01 PM  

This Christmas funk must be going around this year. But your tree is lovely. I like a real tree that isn't perfect and is loaded with lots of sentimental ornaments.

I would so rearrange the clumps, too!

Karen December 22, 2008 at 8:05 AM  

As long as the kids had a good time, it's a success. You're doing good, mom.

Michelle December 22, 2008 at 1:58 PM  

Angela - It is going around, isn't it? There's just so much to do and it seems like less and less time every year! Good to know I'm not in the minority of rearranging!

Karen - They did have a good time. Of course, we only have *one* tree but I'm ok with that ;)

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