Christmas Tree Time!

 Willie had the Sunday after Thanksgiving off work. Alyssa and the kids stayed the weekend. We were babysitting Noah for the weekend as well. With that many "helpers" there we decided it was a perfect day for putting up the Christmas tree.

We have had our Christmas tree for at least twenty years. Willie got it while he was still working at a garden center called Earl May. It was out first full sized Christmas tree. There have been a few years that we got a real tree. Last year included. I like real trees, but I have this fear, a true fear, of accidentally leaving a favorite ornament on it when it is put out on the curb.

I've been collecting ornaments as long as Willie and I have been together. We still have some from our very first Christmas together over 32 years ago. I have ornaments from the kids first Christmases. I have ornaments from the grandkids first Christmases. I have ornaments that my children made when they were very little. The idea of any of these ending up out on the curb with a tree, literally  kept me up at night.

This year we decided to use our ever trust worthy, ever true, artificial tree. I was reading an article yesterday about the environmental impact of using a real vs. fake tree. It turns out that in order to make up for the environmental impact of a fake tree, you need to keep it at least ten years. DONE! We even have another ten in the bank for when we decide to get a new one.

Noah very intently watched as Willie and Kahlen put the tree together. He watched as she put each branch in the appropriate hole. He studied each move, like he wanted to learn so he could do it next year. He has plans, this little dude, he has plans. I'm pretty sure his cousin Paxton will have ideas and plans for him, too, next year.

 Kahlen got the hang of how to put the tree together quickly. She and grandpa separated out the different colors on the stem and started putting it together. They got the very bottom row on first. When they were done Willie looked at it and looked at Kahlen. "I think we need to build this from the top down." He told her. He realized she wouldn't be able to reach over the bottom branches to reach the top.

 Between the two of them the tree went up quickly. Kahlen was very proud of her accomplishment. She had worked hard to put up the tree. Once it was all up it was time to fluff the branches back out.

 Fluffing branches was not something that held Kahlen's attention for very long. She pretty much left that to Grandpa. She had other mischief to get into.

Once the branches were all fluffed, well most of them anyway, it was time to decorate! I think this was Kahlen's favorite part. I took out each ornament and told her stories about many of them. I showed her which ones were from her mommy's first Christmas. We looked at ones that the kids made over their school years. We had a good time.

About the time we got all of the ornaments on the tree, Paxton was up from his nap. He was overwhelmed by all of the possibilities to get into fun shiny stuff. As fast as Kahlen was putting things on the tree, Paxton was busy taking them off.

He found a string of gold pearl garland.  They were the most beautiful things he had ever heard! Yes, I said heard. He walked around shaking the garland and dropping it on the floor. It was a perfect symphony of rattle and bang. It was noise! What could be better!

Then he found something even noisier! What a discovery! It was a Christmas tree that SANG! It sang and danced! Paxton danced with it. He shook his golds pearl garland as he danced. He kicked the singing Christmas tree. It worked much better when it was on its side, don't you know.