Oh Christmas Tree !!!

I don't think we made it into December before Joe started asking when we were going to get a Christmas tree. You all know the size of our house. Even with the changes we are still cozy, so the tree always has to come after Joe's party.

The following Friday (since I work on the weekends) we bundled up the boys. Loaded them into to van. Daddy got in his truck (no room for tree in van with boys) and we trundled off to Medusa (5 minutes down the road from our place) to Wright's Tree Farm. We have been cutting our trees there since the year Joe was born. Wow, that was a crazy Christmas, hormone driven crazy new mom, I made Ed cut a tree down the weekend before the holiday because I found out Joe was coming home and my addled brain insisted that we had to have a tree for his first Christmas.

Oops I digress...

Anyhow, we get to the farm Rory has a horrible cold so we keep him bundled near the car. Ed and Rory wait while Joe and I go tromping out to look at trees. So here's the thing, I told Joe he was going to get to pick the tree out. Not help, not look, not vote, but pick. We're walking along and he seems more interested in knocking snow off stuff as I am considering trees. I keep asking him what about this one and how about that one...what do you think of this one ? He takes one look at each of my candidates and says "No mom". "Alright" my slightly cold brain and even colder toes say and we walk on. We break through to a small opening were several trees have been cut and Joe walks to the next tree in line and says "This tree moms". (He sometimes calls me moms, who knows?) Anyhow, I size the tree up and even with my spatial issues I have a feeling this tree is too huge for my living room. I tell Joe it's nice but lets keep looking. Joe says "No mom this tree" I try to explain it's kind of big. his response, "Big tree for the big room." I can see I am not going to win that point so I try another trick: "What if you like the next tree better ?", and I start to walk on. At this point Joe plants his feet solidly and begins to scream "No this is Joe's tree. Joe wants this tree. Put the ribbon on this tree." We had a blue ribbon to tie on the tree so Ed could identify our choice. Score for Joe, moms puts the ribbon on the tree.

We walked back to the van and I explained where Ed could find the tree, smiled and explained if he changed trees Joe would probably never forgive us. So out he went to retrieve the monster. Back he came dragging it along with daggers in his eyes aimed my way for telling a four year old he could pick out our tree. All in all we guess it was a 9 or 10 feet tall. When we got home we fed the crew and prepared the tree stand.

Guess what happens to a tree stand for a 5-6 foot tree, when you pop a 9 footer in it ? Yeah it breaks. Mom and Joe head for Lowes to get a new tree stand. I might have gone a little overboard on the new one (It has a lifetime guarantee). Luckily while we were there it dawns on me that I might need a few more tree lights as well. I call Ed to ask him how many feet around he thinks the tree is at the base so I can estimate how many strings. He misunderstands and gives me the diameter, 8ft, not the circumference. Back home we go to decorate the giant tree. So the first string of lights is 16 feet long and barely makes it around the base of our tree.

Anyhow...

Who would of ever thought that the skill of tether ball from many years ago on the play ground would ever come in handy later in life? I had those lights swinging once I got up to the top of the tree. Ed was out of the room for about 10 minutes doing laundry and putting Joe to bed. When he came back down he demanded to know how a "hobbit" like myself had manged to get the lights that high up in the tree with no ladder ?

(Insert wife's smug smile here).

The ornaments were mostly put on by myself. Joe and Rory's version of decorating this year was to grab the shatter proof balls and lob them at the tree. If they stuck they would cheer ferociously. It was very cute. Once decorated I have to admit Joe picked out a perfect tree. Symmetrically it is perfect. Granted it takes up 1/4 of my living room, but it is beautiful.

Good tree Joe !

Love you all, Nikki

P.S. In the beginning my tree was decorated perfectly. Ornaments all spaced nicely nothing the same next to each other, I will admit I get a bit crazy about the ornaments and it takes me few days to get them perfect(We all have to have one crazy thing in our lives right ?) So by the time I took the tree down there were no ornaments from the floor to about three feet high.

Thanks Rory, good boy.

Must catch up...

Rory's idea of a party.

One very excited birthday boy.

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue.

Eagerly awaiting his guests.

I am so far behind but December was such a busy month and too much goes on to skip or try to hit it with one blog so bear with me while I backtrack....

Joe's birthday party was the 4th. I was ambitious and invited a lot of people, a little over 30, knowing that because of the time of year not everyone would be able to make it. I figured this way we would have enough guests that conversation would be lively because anyone who has watched Joe open presents knows that it takes a while. Well we had quite the fun day, only one family could not make it. We were all quite cozy and enjoyed the good company. I was very happy that so many could make it. I hardly ever get out to see anyone so it was nice to see everyone at once.

Rory was a little stressed by the crowd but I fed him his sandwich (my sandwich) and he fell asleep. He was out for almost the entire party. Joe spent what felt like forever opening presents. He takes one small piece of the paper at a time so some of the other kids jumped in to help him. He didn't seem to mind but had no intention of changing his method of opening. Our biggest problem came in that he wanted to stop and play with each toy after it was opened. He was almost even more stressed by having to open more presents. All in all he had a wonderful day and he really loved having the other kids to play with. Rory was not quite as interactive as Joe would like him to be, so any opportunity to play with other kids thrilled him, especially if it was a wild ruckus. Next year I am going to attempt activities and games. Wish me luck...oh wait... maybe you should save those wishes for the poor kids.

Love you all Nikki