We happily pulled out the red and green tubs of holiday decorations late Saturday afternoon. We put up the tree, hung stockings, and bounced around to festive music.
I joyously started stringing the lights up the tree, weaving in and out of the fake branches. I was only halfway done when I ran out of white lights that worked. I had several other boxes of lights, but they were all dead on arrival. We must become a pre-lit kind of family.
So tonight we had to finish the job.
Isn't the best part of holiday decorating when you discover a treasured ornament or trinket that you had forgotten about? I picture families all over the world carefully unwrapping the bauble that sends tears and memories spilling over.
This is not what happens at our house. Here, I unwrap crumply newspaper to find ornaments like this:
Sparkly poop. With a ribbon on it. Because this is what my husband thinks is funny.
And the shopping cart ornament? It's not a nod to consumerism or the flailing economy. It is, however, full of our memories.
so glad to hear you have a fake tree too! I'm not the only one who broke the family tradition! I never would have thought of getting a tree out of a box growing up. My brother gives me the hardest time every year about my fake tree. I will always cherish the memories of picking out the perfect tree each year with your family and the Littles. Of course Lynn had his measuring stick!
Posted by: Kristi | November 30, 2009 at 04:54 AM
Trees are freaking expensive!! A fake tree lasts a long time, especially the pre-lit ones. We had a pre-lit tree with fiber optic lights that changed colors, it was so pretty! Anyway, the sparkly poop is kind of funny. It's not something everyone has either, at least I hope not :/ lol. Can you imagine when pigtail gets older and asks about that one? hehe. Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Kaye Wiley | November 30, 2009 at 06:33 AM
three years ago we made the investment in a pre-lit tree. it truly is the pinnacle of Fakin' It at Christmas. you must.
i love love LOVE unwrapping decorations!! both the old, sentimental ones AND the new ones that i had forgotten about acquiring at or after last Christmas. what a treat!
Posted by: jaime | November 30, 2009 at 06:41 AM
Oh how I'd love to have a pre-lit artificial tree! But it's just not part of our "tradition." Though no one ever offers to help put the lights on our usually-giant store-bought Frasier (my favorite). And Kristi, we long ago gave up cutting a cedar! I've been threatening to throw all lights away and buy new ones each year, but I just can't bring myself to do it. How I hate to try to figure out which bulb is loose! A few years ago I decided that the icicle lights made for outdoor eaves would be good for weaving in and out of a large tree, not thinking about how tangled their tentacles would get in storage. I'm probably the last person in town to get my tree up each year. Now I'm remembering why.
Posted by: mom | November 30, 2009 at 08:15 AM
Sparkly poop. Why not? It's festive!
Posted by: Megan@SortaCrunchy | November 30, 2009 at 11:56 AM
i always get a little wistful when i pass by the real trees for sale. but it's just not practical in LA! i don't exactly have many friends with pick up trucks.
plus, i sort of consider our LA tree to be a placeholder. mom's tree is the (literal) real tree in our holidays.
which means i need to grow up.
Posted by: laura @ peacoat | November 30, 2009 at 06:16 PM
i wish i could talk lance into a fake tree...if only because i could decorate earlier! but i don't think i'll ever get him to go for it. i think he worries that it would stay up much too long...
Posted by: beth | December 01, 2009 at 09:07 AM