Boxed up

Christmas back in boxes, high on garage shelves.  I should be happy with my organization but instead I am a little misty eyed for the holiday.  Several years in a row, I have been known to take down the tree before we head up to my mom's for Christmas morning.  The kids have always been little enough to not really care where the tree was headed at 8:00am after present opening from Santa.  I have always felt like leaving the holiday stuff up after the actual day leaves its own sadness.  The tree always looks less sparkly, under the tree is bare and I can see the needles that have fallen.  I notice that the paper chains are askew over the windows and the puffy snow under the village is torn and flat.  So, I usually bundle it up and box it up. 

This year was different, as I started taking ornaments off at the end of Christmas day, the kids looked at me horrified and said "What are you doing?  Where is that tree going? I turned and thought ??? Are they crazy? This tree is going right where all the others have gone.  The side of our house to be picked up by boy scouts next week.  I had been foiled and I felt terrible.  I left the barren tree there and skulked away to go and try to sneak down paper chains.  Instead of yanking down stuff, I just started to organize Christmas presents the kids had received that were all over the house.  Funny, here came some twinkling little voices again.  "Moooommmm, where did you put my new Jon and Kate book and where is my green rubber watch? They were right here.  I know Finn stole them." I hated admitting it was I, the mother, who had already whisked it all away and was putting it where I thought it belonged.  So, I left that task as well.  I promised myself I would really try next year, to enjoy the moment and let the kids help dictate when Christmas was over.  

Dan removed the tree eventually, after the kids had some more time with it. However, we did leave up the very large, wide flocked tree we saved from oblivion.  It was a tree that no one would have taken home and we felt sorry for the ol' girl.  She was damn near impossible to get into the house and took up most of our living room.  So much so, that we had to move a chair and a coffee table out to give her wide berth.  It was my most favorite tree we have ever had!  Getting it out was not easy and I have been mopping up white flocking material for a week.  I will miss both trees. I am already  looking  forward to Julia and I heading out as early as the husbands will let us to get more next year.  

The kids are back at school.  They are thrilled and so am I.  Daisy tells me that everyone, absolutely everyone got Uggs for Christmas.  How does she know this?  Seems that "the lady from Nordstrom told Grandma Pru"  I like that scientific research.  Also, she is now the only girl in her class without pierced ears.  We had a long discussion about piercing at Icing vs. Claires.  She has no interest in her own ears being pierced but she is fascinated by the process.  

Apparently, the boys in the class all got boring video games.  I heard all about the petrified carrots found in her desk due to sitting there 3 (!!) weeks and the stinky water in her water bottle.  I wonder if she actually did any class work yesterday? 

Finn came home beaming, with a jingle bell tied to a red ribbon around his neck. A Christmas gift from his teacher.  I can't imagine why the kindy teacher would hand out 24 bells to the little children.  Finn clarified that they weren't allowed to wear them until it was time to go.  I had to go in his room about 8:30 last night and tell him to take the bell off as every time he moved, he jingled and it was making the dogs nervous.  It was back on at 6:30 this morning when he headed to the bathroom.  

Hmmm, Wilbur is alternately licking Harper in the face and running around with her stuffed rubber ducky she got for Christmas from her Uncle Cody. I think its time to mother again. 

Hope your Christmas was as lovely as ours and that 2009 is the best year yet.  I can't believe its almost time to swear in another president, but that's another post.....