Finally looking like Christmas!

I am so ashamed that I am just now getting our Christmas tree and getting it up! We always do a real tree, and something came up every day that we had planned to go get one for the last 3 weeks. It was too cold outside for the kids, so I stayed in the store with them and sent Nathan out to pick one out. He came back in about 2 minutes and said he liked the first four he picked up, and it was freezing outside, so he just picked one. Good enough for me!

The next night I put it up. By I, I mean me, by myself. I like my tree a certain way and I have found it easier to just do it myself. So I cleaned out the tree spot, got all the lights and ornaments out, brought the tree stand in and just had Nathan set the tree in and move out of the way. I managed to string the lights around it, and then little miss Ryan wanted momma. So, I got her sling out and put her in it and she fell right asleep so I decorated the tree with her hanging on me - I will remember that sweet time forever I hope. Noah played in his room the whole time - thank goodness. He is still so good to play by himself.

I knew Noah was going to be so excited about the "Snowman" in the living room - for some reason he calls Santa, Christmas trees, and snowmen all snowmen - we have tried to tell him but have you ever argued with a two year old - sometimes it is just better to give up. I don't want to constantly be telling him not to touch the tree (snowman) so there are some ornaments that I am not that attached to and I put them on the bottom so Noah can touch them and I put a few sound and light ones down towards the bottom too. He loves to play with the tree - makes me sad I didn't get it up sooner!

I get each member of the family a Hallmark ornament every year. I have gotten the holiday Christmas Barbie ever since 1995 - so Ryan will have quite the collection of those someday, maybe they will be worth something and she can sell them and use the money for something she really wants. I usually always get Nathan an ESPN ornament but Hallmark didn't have one this year so I got him a National Lampoons Christmas Vacation one - one of out all time favorite movies. I got Noah a Tom and Jerry ornament and he loves it! He asks to watch "mouse" every night before bed - I love that they are still around for him to enjoy like Nathan and I did as kids! Ryan got a picture frame ornament that says "Baby's First Christmas" on it. I love those kinds of ornaments.

I don't do the traditional Christmas balls or any type of color scheme and I don't buy ornaments other than each family member getting one new one a year. That way my tree won't be overrun with ornaments for a long time and each one has a special year. I do have an "A Christmas Story" section and "Christmas Vacation" section on the tree though - I like those to all stay together. A few years ago I switched from the old ratty looking angel I had to a beautiful pine cone star for the tree topper. I love it and hope nothing ever happens to it - it just fits with our home.

It doesn't look very full here, but Nathan literally cut the netting off of it and I decorated it - it is much fuller looking now and smells SO good!

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

A Christmas Story

Noah's 2012 ornament

Other than the tree, I got stockings out and the Fisher Price nativity scene for Noah to play with and that is it. I am not decorating anything else this year - the thought of having to put it all back up in 2 weeks was just too much work to think about. Plus, the kids are still small and I can get away with it for now :)