Christmas: Well Worth the Puke

Until you spend your first Christmas morning in your own home, with your own tree and your own first-born-3-year-old child, you have not lived.

His brother was as oblivious as he was in the past, favoring empty boxes for their contents. But Haven. He GOT it. The stockings. The trains he won't unclutch. He got it. And he made us "get it" again too.

We then spent time with family and returned home puking as humans often do when 30 or so of them visit at a time. But I can truly say it was worth it -- well worth it. And coming from someone who got close to no sleep and has had to be helped out by someone of the male gender (he means well, don't get me wrong but nurturing is woman's work) all day, "well worth it" is high high praise.

How Lovely Are Thy Branches

Haven and Daddy geared up to chop down our very first Christmas tree. Daddy grabbed his saw and Haven his axe (it was actually a wooden toy pop gun but, shh ...).

I requested something small that I could keep on the table & away from little hands so I was pleasantly shocked at the 8 foot fir they drug in.

Haven decorated one candy cane at a time, running in and out of the kitchen in circles between each addition.

Colored lights, a cardboard star and 8 boxes of tinsel (which is not showing up in the photo but has shown up in pancake syrup, in my dishwasher, between sheets, in diapers and will be found I'm sure in such places come July) has made for a magnificent first Christmas tree.

It's shadow has seen countless toddler tribal-like celebratory dances and has been the inspiration for much happy squealing and light hand smacking.

Technically or traditionally, Catholics aren't supposed to get or decorate trees until Christmas day (I think) as Advent is a season of penance (lesser than lent but penitential nonetheless as we are dwelling on our longing for the Child. Think "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

Pete has always talked big about how we would keep a tree bare until Christmas Eve, etc., etc. But you see, he drug that big tree in our home and the kid in him who stared in wonder at, well, definitely tinsel, went nuts. The rest I already mentioned.

And if you're one of my siblings you HAVE to watch this video of my sister's mother-in-law picking up her tree in Long Island (feel free to watch it even if you're not one of my siblings). It does contain a few naughty words so be warned.