Christmas Time is here....Yahoo!

I hope that you read that title with just a tad bit of sarcasm. I really do enjoy the Christmas season. I love the colors, the parties and the fun, the gift giving, the carols, and times together with family. But, as an adult, I am finding that there are a lot of things about the Christmas season that I do not enjoy. Shopping...okay...that isn't new...I've always hated shopping...I just dislike it even more now that there are little ones to deal with in the process. I do not like the crowds, rude people, dashing here and there to get to all the Christmas functions and parties, and did I mention the shopping????

Somehow Christmas always seems to sneak up on me. I keep telling myself that I will get my Christmas shopping done early. Then...BAM!.....it is December and I am left to muddle my way through it all. I think I am just in plain ol' denial. If I just don't think about it, surely Christmas won't really come. I think I am doing the same thing about turning 40. Granted I have a few more years until then....but pretty soon my ignoring won't make it go away! Ha!

We did get our Christmas tree up this weekend. It turned out pretty nice. The process is usually a little stressful for me. This year wasn't as bad. We bought our tree through a fundraiser for our school. This is the first time in a long time we haven't gone out to a tree farm to pick out our very own. I thought that I would miss that process....but after the weather this weekend....I find that I didn't miss it at all! Considering that we didn't get to actually pick our tree....I am extremely pleased with our tree. I couldn't have picked better if I had tried! Bonus: We didn't get muddy and cold. And no arguing!

The one stressful part, for me, is the kids' overexuberance for decorating. As soon as those Christmas boxes come out of the attic, they descend upon them like starving vultures. If they were a little more methodical about things, I wouldn't mind so much. If I turn my back for a second, things would literally be dumped out into one big mound of chaos. They haven't learned the art of savoring Christmas tree decorating....to take each ornament out in it's own sweet process....to soak up the memories of each one.

Here is Me: "Look, guys, here is the ornament I made for Daria on her first Christmas. I remember when....."

My Kids: "ooo...Can I put it up?" "No, me." "No...it's mine." "Mom....she always gets to put them up." "How come she has an ornament and not me???" "Oooo....wait....look this is mine." "No, it's not!" "Hey, that's not fair!!" "MO-OM!!!!"

Me: "Aaaaarrrrggggghhhhh!!!"

And so it goes.

I have learned to just let it be at times. I refuse to allow the process to be destroyed by their bickering. I remain hopeful that someday, they will slow down and enjoy the process a little more. For now, they are Speed Tree Decorators. I think this was our fastest year ever.....only in the fact that they are getting a little more skilled at hanging things up.

I thought I would share a few pictures of our tree decorating experience. We really did have a good time together....and I think things look pretty.

Here is Tim's contribution to the tree. He does set the tree up in the stand. Usually that is about it....this year, he put up lights. I was a little surprised at his confession this year. It explains his behavior immensely. He said as he got older, he would place all his ornaments in one small area of the tree. It would annoy his mom....so then she wouldn't ask for his help any longer. Hmmmmm.....I'll have to figure something out about that. Here is the proof that Tim did contribute to the process.


Luke is getting more adept at putting his ornaments on the tree. Though, in his frustration, I noticed that at times he would just kind of toss the ornament into the tree. Later, after it fell off, I would have to put it back on. Which was good, most of the ornaments ended up right about Luke's level.


Caden was obsessed with putting all "his" ornaments in the front. I was trying to spread them around, but I noticed that a couple of "his" ornaments had been discreetly moved to the front.


Daria did a great job decorating the tree. Without her help, the top of the tree would be naked. Either that, or I would have been redecorating the tree in the middle of the night after the "elves" had gone to sleep!



Here are my three little elves. Don't they just look so sweet and innocent?



Oh....I was able to get a few ornaments up myself. I literally had to beat down the beasties to have an opportunity....but I did manage. See:




Here we are all together. We really did have a family night!




Finally...here is the final product. Tim took the kids to pick up some Burgerville while I finished the last little touches. Caden wanted to know how I had gotten the tulle up on the tree. I told him it was magic. Pure magic!



Here is to a Merry Christmas!! Cheers!!