It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I pulled down all the Christmas decorations, rolled up my sleeves, put the XM Holly-days station on, burned some cinnamon apple incense and began going to town. And it was a race against the clock before Enzo awoke from his nap.


Once he did wake up to see the bannisters wrapped in pinecone, snow-capped, white-lit garland, he says "oooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!!!" with his eyes wider than I've ever seen them before. This Christmas will be different than last year when all he did was eat wrapping paper. I introduce him to this very special music box, with a train, carolers, and snow frosted pine trees. Mesmerized, I say.


We head out over the river and through the woods to the Christmas tree farm/lot (aka Lowes) and Enzo sprints toward the trees. Why is it he picks the most expensive 10 foot Noble fir? We're going Douglas and we're going 8 feet. And I recall that last year I was stoked to bring with me a $10 off coupon that was conveniently mailed to me. This year, not so much. (Can you tell I still have a philosophical problem with spending $50 on a dead tree?)

Enzo says "There's gotta be a better/fresher/taller/fuller one back here in the tree jail" - if only he could speak. So his mother kindly asked the lumberjack man to find her one.

After making Jeff spin it around 143 times (hey, he was prepared with his headlamp and anti-sap gloves), we decide yep, this is the one.


We do the furniture dance to make a spot for the tarp and tree stand. And, by the way can I ask -- why was it with my first pregnancy I was coddled and protected and told not to lift anything heavy? Why this time is it more like "pick up your side of the couch higher and move a little more to the left, please!" Whatevs.

To tether the tree to the wall, or not to tether the tree? (per all parenting mags directed at moms with toddlers I've read for the past two months.) I think we'll take our chances.

Rudolph and the elf with the ceremonious North Star topper.