O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

The following is an excerpt from "it all started with paint" blog.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree ..

… why are your branches leaning?

Every year it seems like our Christmas tree tilts. Either our house is crooked, or the husband and the kids – who are in charge of picking out the tree - just can’t see straight.

Oh well, it doesn’t really matter. In the end it looks pretty. Even if this year it has an extra Seuss-esque curve at the top.

We don’t change it up and do a different ‘theme tree’ each year. A theme that involves red bows and baby’s breath as snow was set many years ago … by none other than me.

I shamelessly copied it from my sister in New Jersey.  I figured with me in Chicago – and 1,000-plus miles between us - no one would be the wiser.

Besides, if I tried to implement a new theme I’m pretty sure the kids would stage an uprising. Last year’s replacement of gold balls with white and green resulted in an earful of questions and opinions and complaints.

Yeah, change doesn’t go over big in this house… which is why many of the changes that happen around here take place under the stealth of the school/work day.

The kids did most of the heavy lifting getting the ornaments up, especially now that (1) they are tall enough to reach the top and (2) they understand (with a few prompts from mom) that ornaments should be evenly distributed.

The husband accompanied us as ‘laptop DJ’ playing his .. I mean our … favorite holiday tunes.

I mostly dug out and separated the kids’ ornaments. Long ago I decided to give them an ornament in their stocking each year. I figured when they venture out on their own they’ll have an arsenal of ornaments to start off with.

Chances are my daughter will leave without them, wanting to start her own traditions. And my son will probably spend quite a few years decorating a water-starved fern with a string of lights tossed on top and beer cap garland.

Oh well, I tried.

When the kids are done, I swoop in with baby’s breath and bows …

… and speaking of baby’s breath, I was forced to use it sparingly this year.  Hunting it down has become quite the challenge. The Jewel gave up a few sprigs, but guarded the rest like it was liquid gold. And the local florist is too high brow for such pedestrian flora.

This whole baby’s breath issue may force me to come up with a new theme next year. I should probably start prepping the family now …

Linda is the creator and author of the ‘it all started with paint’ blog.  She’s a Jersey-born-and-bred-Midwestern transplant who lives with her husband and two children in Chicago. She recently started blogging to chronicle her adventures as she refreshes her turn-of-the-century – and that’s 20th century, not 21st – home one room at a time, for $500 or less.