Blake's PERFECT Pick

You would think after a lonnng road trip I would be ready to just settle in at home once we arrived...you should know better ;)~. One of our traditions is decorating the tree on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Bobby had put the tree up for us while we were in Tennessee so it was sitting their just waiting to be decorated when we got home SUNDAY around 3PM.

However, our poor tree just wasn't going to make it through another season :( Let me just say for the record that I do NOT like artificial trees...so I really wasn't that disappointed. But, in all honesty, I tried to make the tree work. The branches just wouldn't cooperate...they were so droopy. After messing with the branches for 15 minutes (and being attacked by Jasmine the entire time...she thought the tree was her empire and did everything in her power to protect it from me) I gave up on making the tree "look" good. I decided to move on to the lights only to find that half of them were out. I had NO idea where to start...the tree had come with the lights already entwined on the branches. I gave up...

We probably had that tree for five Christmas's or so. It couldn't have decided to give up on us at a more perfect time. Although I don't care for artificial trees it just seemed more suitable with young kids around. We had a real tree during Blake's first Christmas and trying to keep him from picking up the pine needles and eating them was a real pain in the butt. But now, with no more babies at home, we don't have to worry about a few pine needles laying around.

So, here is where my restless personality comes in...I was still determined to decorate our tree on SUNDAY. That meant going out to a tree farm THAT day. Marc wanted no part of it...he thought I was crazy. We had barely gotten home from a ten hour drive and I was rushing out the door (I thought the farm closed at 5) to hunt for a tree...in the rain. The kids were excited though...I think that is what kicked my determination into overdrive.

I have never been to a place where you can cut down your own tree so I had no idea of the process. I didn't realize that you actually had to cut down your own (I figured one of the workers helped you if you needed it). Even I have a limit as to how far I will go...paying a $5 deposit for a saw, driving out to the field with three kids, and attempting to saw down a tree by myself was mine. Luckily they had some pre-cut trees out front and inside the barn.

Then the hunt began...how could I have forgotten how picky Blake is? I gave him a description of the type of tree we needed...it could be tall BUT not too fat. Nothing we picked was good enough...then he spotted the perfect tree. It was more then I wanted to spend so I tried and tried to lure him to other (cheaper) trees. But he wasn't having it...I wonder where he gets his determination from ;). He was right though...it WAS the perfect tree. It was really tall (about 11 feet) and not to wide at the bottom.

The people that worked out there were so nice...they made sure the kids had a great experience. They let the kids knock the tree over...TiMbEr, and help carry it out. They gave the kids popcorn to snack on while they watched the tree get wrapped up and tied onto the car. I will definitely go back there next year :).

Marc was still being a bah humbug when we got home. He said he was not bringing a wet tree into the house (I never really thought about that minor detail during our adventure) and it would have to set in the garage overnight to dry out. Had I of thought of that, I probably wouldn't have raced out of the house :(...oh well, the four of us enjoyed it :).

Monday, our plans are foiled AGAIN :(. I always have Marc help me with the lights so we had to wait for him to get home from work until we could start decorating. It was then that we realized that we didn't have enough lights...we are not used to such a massive tree. Six boxes only lit half of it. Marc made a quick run to Target for us but it was still too late by the time he got back to finish the job. It was time for bedtime routines.

Tuesday, Marc had hockey tonight but he was kind enough to put the rest of the lights on before he left. The kids and I finished the job. Our artificial tree only required a step-up ladder to reach the high places but this one required a real one. In fact, the tree is so tall we were able to put the star on from the top of the balcony area. Of course, the kids couldn't wait their turn to go up the ladder...literally, I think the bickering began the moment I said yes. There is no better way to break in a tree then to have a ladder fall into it...leave it to Nicholas ;). Luckily, he wasn't on the ladder and the tree didn't crash over...that could have been a disaster.

I seem to forget each year what a pain in the butt decorating the house for Christmas truly is. I am half way done and I honestly don't even want to finish but I figure it would be dumb not finish what I started. It's just so much work (that apparently I don't realize until I get started). Maybe now that I have it in writing I will remember...although it sure looks festive and pretty ;).