So, it was tree time! We unpacked the decorations and I prepared myself! "OK" I said before we started "What's the golden rule of tree decorating?" Small Sprog was taking no notice at all and was rummaging in another bag. I looked at him pointedly! "Only one decoration on each branch" Said Tall Girl dutifully! "And not clumped altogether!" I added! "Small Sprog, that means you!"
No reply of course! How could he listen and rummage full of excitement in the boxes and bags for his favourite decorations? Tall Girl raised her eyes to the ceiling and tutted. I didn't remind her that not long ago, she was the one overloading the branches!
The door bell rang, it was one of the nit children. Oh well, I think, I guess a bit more help can't make it any worse, but Tall Girl comes back alone. "Where is she then?" I ask
"Well I was just talking to her and her tooth fell out!" Says Tall Girl "So she's gone home"
That would be an odd thing to happen if you were an adult, I think to myself, but as a child, it's just a normal event. Anyway, back to the tree.........
Sibling rivalry took over in no time. "No, not there"
"That's mine"
"Put it there!
"No"
"Mummmmm!"
A lovely Christmas Tradition, as you can see!
"Daddy, are you coming to decorate the tree?" Asks Small Sprog
"Why break the habit of a lifetime" Muttered Tall Girl
We all laugh, but underneath it all, we know it's true. I'm not sure why it's always just the three of us, but that is the way it is.
PS. Apparently, there is a tradition, on the other side of Bristol, where you just lob the decoration box at the tree, job done. A thought for next time maybe!
16 comments:
We have a similar tradition which also involes the fairy rearranging the baubles overnight into a more pleasing display! We buy a new decoration each every year and its lovely when they remember the old ones.
Hubby's job is always the lights.
our tree probably looks like someone has thrown a box of decorations at it but it has lots of lights on and it looks lovely when its all lit up!
Hmm........
Humor but a little undertone of.......
anyway Xmas brings out all the should, ought, why don't you.......ie a whole panoply of emotional STUFF
my husband is American and thinks you just rip open all the presents at dawn on Xmas day.
No ceremony, no handing things out one by one......
in short, no Xmas anticipation......
I have to get a grip!
Nit children an interesting side bar!
word verification: rokeded - sounds very verb-like
Our tree gets picked up and messed about with....... not too big, you see. My tradition is putting it back in order when no one is looking!
There seems to be tinsel all over the place in our house. Don't know what the granddaughters do with it..... shred it up or something.
well last things first.....
nothing would surprise me about the "other side of Bristol"!
We have places like that near us, although possibly they would burn the tree for firewood even before it got decorated!!
Treasure those times with the tree decoration, mine, lovely as they all are, are not interested in the whole farrago now. I miss those Small Sprog Times so very much.
First time this Christmas we have a fibre optic tree, the magic has kinda gone, though He Who Must Not Be Obeyed got kinda excited about the whole thing this arvo!
It looks good but it don't smell of pine.......
Letty ;0)
Someone has been re-arranging our ornaments over here. I suspect a rather short person.
The Husband always sits out the decorating here as well--I get to do things my way. I'm okay with that.
Nits and teeth...just mentioning it makes my scalp itch!
At my house it's just me decorating the tree. It's beautiful, but I rather miss the old days when decorations were haphazardly placed here and there on the tree by all the children...sigh. Of course, Toby the cat was eyeing it as I decorated, so I may have to readjust the decorations after all.
Hello Sub,
I hope your tree looks well; mine is a bit haphazard and I have taken out a small-ad for skilled decoraters to assist!
I did not consider the golden rule and may have to review the decoration-spread here in BS5.
I have happy and magical memories of decorating our tree as a child. Putting all the baubles on and everything. Oddly now, i let husband and children get on with it - i don't know why.
We only have a small tree these days as our living room is so small but thats no excuse really. Perhaps when we can have a bigger tree, i might muck in more.
good blog xxx
Oh bloody hell, the tree! We are doing that today. We don't have a tradition about it and that's quite liberating at times and sad at others.
Your tree and Christmas fair exploits made me smile. Our tree always looked like people had lobbed the decorations from the other end of the room, and maybe they had.
I have decided in my new found miserable minimalist way, that tinsel is banned from the living room. There's nothing more depressing, post Christmas, than dimly electric bulb lit scraggly tinsel that doesn't match anything else. Oh my, what a prima donna I have become LOL.
When student son was about 2 years old, as fast as the rest of us hung the decorations on the tree, he took them off again. We had a bare tree that year.
Student son doesn't seem very interested in putting up the tree, this year, but he is now 19! My husband has never wanted to be involved in putting up the Christmas tree. That is probably a good thing!
Sounds like great fun! I also find mulled wine hard to resist!
rules? you mean there are rules i should follow here? is this where i have been going wrong?
Good post. Like it very much. A lot going on in a few words. My daughter has decided to tell a story on our tree with all the wooden "figures" all in the same area. Aah Well!
Lob the box at the tree!! this is a good idea and one I will do next year. We Did our tree yesterday. I am so glad thats done for another year. Everyone cross with everyone else because its not going 'their' way. But it does look damned good I have to say...
I'm with Ms Wiz, there's a fairy here who rearranges the baubles after daughter has gone to bed too.
And thank you for making me realise that my daughter is not alone in wanting to fit as many baubles as possible on one branch. I thought she was just weird!
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