I’m going to make more of an effort not to have my tree up into February this year.
I LOVE having a Christmas tree so much… and since we moved our bed into what was formerly the living room three years ago, I have the pretty, pretty tree just inches from my head in my bedroom. It is glorious. The task of the disassembling actually hurts my heart a little bit. (Sniff.)
I love the smell. I love the way it looks. I love gazing at it, all lit up, for a little while before I turn out the lights each night. LOVE, I tell you. It’s a beautiful thing, our tree.
Due to our family cold this year, we failed in getting it up mid-December, like we’d planned. And truth be told, this year, it was less than perfect… it could have used more lights, and if I cared enough to climb back up the ladder, I might have added more ornaments. But this year, I didn’t care. So what if it was a bit lame? It was good enough. I’m trying very, very hard to make good enough a mantra I use more and more. Bye-bye perfect.
And anyway? The kids were thrilled, and that’s the goal. Score!
But alas, the season is ending, and it’s time to put all the stuff away – each fragile glass orb to be nestled back into a shroud of crinkled paper, tucked into their boxes, and the whole lot into their BIG boxes, to be lugged back down to the basement, stacked at the very back of the “seldom used stuff” closet.
*wipes sweat from brow* PHEW! I’m tired just thinking about the process.
And though this year, I allowed the children to help hang of the ornaments (and of course, rearranged many of them after they went to bed for the night) a few fell off branches and smashed. This is to be expected. But now that the tree has become a crispy fire-hazard – you can practically look at an ornament and will it to fall to the floor) I know that too many hands on the de-Christmas task will make for a smashingly bad time for the bulbs. I just know it.
Oliver returns to school on Tuesday (finally!) so on Wednesday, while both children are at school, I will begin the task. There will be no-one home to fight over what they get to do to help. There will be no pine needles stuck to socks that make their way to my bed via the heels of The Jumping Minis… along with the offending glitter of broken ornaments also getting dusted over the surface of my sheets. I know the damage my kids can do, yo. It takes a nano-second for obliteration.
I know it’s sometimes better to let them help – that they learn by experiencing… but I like my ornaments intact, thanks. And the less shouting and squabbling, and shrieking and crying, and but that’s MINE! or but I’m doing the gold ones! or I had it FIRST! crap I have to hear and endure? The better it is for everyone me. (I take the same stance with cooking and baking – go watch tv or something and I’ll call you when it’s ready, okay? And quit sneezing on everything for goodness sake!!)
Besides, the faster I can get all this stuff put away, the faster I can get onto the other looming project in the house…
The Basement. *shudders* (Pray for me.)
I know I’m not the only person with post-Christmas/January projects on the go… I’m curious about yours. Do tell!!
What are you going to do, Jen? WOW!! I’m thrilled for you that you’ll have the opportunity to vacate the premises for so much time… um… where will you go?
Our tree is still up. My hubby has been away on a boys ski trip. It is my gift to him when he returns and I hop on a plane to the UK 😉
My 2011 project is a massive house renovation! We have to move out for 3-4 months and do some major purging. Not sure exactly when we’ll find the time to get it all organized…
I LOVE TO DECHRISTMAS!!!! I did it as fast as humanly possible on Dec. 29th….and now am pissed off at my garbage man who hasn’t picked the effing thing up to chop it into a kabillion little wood chips….:)
Oh that’s funny!
Cuyler’s bday is Nov 13, the parade is usually that week or the week and tree always goes up the weekend of the parade. Cuy LOVES it.
Eva’s bday is January 12, so the tree coming down on the 1st or 2nd is perfect timing!
Kath, I’m sad to do it – yes. But I’d rather be sad, all alone, than have the “help” from the children, with the moaning and the wailing (and the breakage)… a service would be great! I should actually start that business – I’m not sad about other peoples’ Chistmas stuff… that doesn’t make me cry. Hmmmm…
Christine, you’re smart to get tour tree up so early. My birthday is November 24th, and I have rules about not mixing my birthday with that of the baby Jesus… so the tree just has to wait until I’m done feting my Specialness. (Heh.) Since the youngest has a b-day on January 21, I’m just satisfied if it’s down by then. This would be the first year though. (Oy, I suck.)
Beautiful tree, Tracey. I always find it so melancholy to “de-Christmas”, too. That would be a brilliant idea: a service that comes to your house to take down your Christmas decorations so you don’t have to!
Oh Sarah! We’ve boughtband sold more houses than I care to admit. Twice we’ve moved while I was pregnant. I feel for you, my friend.
Tracey – just do what I do and put the tree up mid November and by Jan 2 you don’t feel so down about putting it all away as you’ve enjoyed it for so long. I figure once Santa is at the mall, I can have a tree in my family room.
Good luck de-Christmas’ing and even better luck with the basement!!
Oh, you poor darling… that’s a lot of work. Good news is, there’s lots of time! The bad part is trying to keep the house all “open-house ready” all the freaking time between now and then. Uch. I don’t envy you… but by this time next year, you’ll have a new baby AND a new house! Yay!!
We (ahem…I…preggo) decided to sell our house before the new baby comes in June. So, we’re prepping to sell. It’s torture. I mean, I didn’t think we had much stuff but…WHAAAAAAAAAA! And, just like your kiddos, mine loves to undo everything I do. Sigh.