My in-laws, who live downstairs, are both in a local rehab center. Their care has absorbed lots of time and energy. Money is tight, and the kids are busy, and just when am I supposed to make 12 batches of Christmas cookies? My days seem to consist of work, baby care and driving the big kids around.
So far, most of the Christmas decorations are still in their boxes in the basement.
But not the Christmas tree ornaments.
I was feeling very proud that we got our tree up a week earlier than usual this year. It, too, was a break from tradition; with my in-laws not home -- and our apartment more crowded with Baby Three on the scene -- we decided to just decorate one tree and set it up in my in-laws living room, where we will celebrate Christmas Eve and where the kids like to watch TV and play video games (they have a much bigger TV).
It was lovely, and with 12- and 10-year-old helpers, it only took a couple of hours to get all the ornaments on.
We have lots of ornaments.
Then, it only took a couple of days to topple over.
Until it toppled over again, this time when Kid Two was playing a game downstairs. He came to get me and I wrestled it back up -- dropping it a couple of times in the process -- and started to rehang the ornaments. Then Baby Three woke up and I headed upstairs to nurse her. When I went back downstairs to check on Kid One, it was on the floor again.
I began to think it had the wrong holiday; Jesus fell three times on the way to Calvary.
Anyway, enough was enough. I stripped the ornaments and lights off and Big T went out to buy another tree -- one that isn't really bushy on one side and really bare on the other. (You'd think we would have seen the problem, which is compounded by hanging the ornaments on the bushy side, because that's where the branches are).
I guess that in at least one way this Christmas will be like last year's; we have to buy two trees. But at least Home Depot is giving us half off the second one.
