Getting ready for Christmas

When I was growing up, one of my family's traditions was that the tree remained undecorated until Christmas Eve. I'm not sure if this started because my parents wisely wanted to limit the decorations exposure to five wildish young children or some other reason. As we got older, it became the most likely day we would all be together, and decorating the tree together was the only way we could consider it happening. Either way, now that I'm a "grown up" and have my own home, I have my own traditions to start with my children.

We got the tree Thursday evening. Drew and Lee went to buy it while I got dinner pulled together for Connor and Tucker, and got them mostly ready for bed. The tree, of course, was wrapped up and the branches were all at about a 15 degree angle pointing up. We explained to Drew that it needed a night to relax. He barely managed to contain himself. At 6:15 Friday morning, there he was jumping on me in bed, saying, "Time to go decorate the tree!" We managed to talk him down again, but it wasn't easy. But for Heaven's sake, we both had work, and he and Connor both had school!

I missed the train coming home from work, so I had to walk home from the metro instead of catching my ride. By the time I got into the house, I could see that Drew would not wait a moment longer. Lee and Drew put the lights on the tree while I put out the rest of the ornaments. We piled on decorations, letting Drew do his own work but helping him to understand that no matter what you can't hang anything on the very tip of a branch. No matter how many cartoons may look like that. He did drop one decoration, and it broke at his toes. Luckily, it was one of a set I got at Target a few years ago and not one of the heirloom ones my parents gave to me on my first Christmas once I was married. He looked up and said, "Oh, no. Well, it happens."

After a while, I decided it was enough, and Drew put the angel on the top with an assist from Lee. It was the first time he did it. I sense another tradition there. The we shut the lights off in the room to enjoy the tree, and Drew made us stand in a circle, holding hands, and proceeded to lead us in song. The song was a slight derivation of "Welcome, Christmas" from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" but he's four, and he had the melody down and led us through with grace. This was completely unplanned, and I was unprepared for it. For all the singing my family has ever done, and the amount of love my sibs and I have of the Grinch, never once did we sing in a circle like that, I am certain that we sang along with Christmas music on the stereo or TV or something. It was lovely, and I really hope it becomes part of our tradition.