Christmas Decor

The Christmas decorations have been up for a week and we've all been quite enjoying the festivities.

Even before we up the decor, though, we had won a cute Santa candle holder in a white elephant gift exchange and stuck it up on the mantle. The first time the boys went into the living room, they immediately noticed it, climbed onto the coffee table and frantically pointed at the thing. How in the world did they notice so fast? Clever kids.

When we pulled out the Christmas tree (fake all the way, baby!), Dash and Liam thought it was the weirdest and funnest thing. Recognizing the star shape, they liked that bit best.

Yes, that middle chunk of lights is out. Can't figure out why. The bottom little bit sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. What can you do? Oh, buy another tree, you say? Or better yet, go natural? Nah.

They like to make their rounds each day, you know, got to make sure the tree's in fine health.

Check the strength of a limb here and there.

Some things deserve a closer look.

Hmm, he may have detected a problem.

Must check it through his special filter.

It checks out after all. Hurray!

Now, we thought the boys might get used to the tree quickly and leave it somewhat alone. But we shot ourselves in the foot in the first few minutes of setup. I was wondering if we ought to keep the classic round ornaments up out of their reach. Sean said no need, for they are unbreakable! And to prove his point, he dropped one on the ground, which bounced away unscathed.

But of course, that became the boys' new most favoritest game in the world. And all orbs that came within their grasp were promptly thrown across the floor. Day after day, it doesn't get old. But my efforts to return them to their tree limbs do.

So my floors look like this.

And the bottom of our tree is a barren wasteland.

And the top of the tree is a crowd of cheap plastic balls.

It's beautiful.

We don't have a lot of other decorations, nor a lot of places to keep them out of harms way. Our little nativity squeezes onto our bookshelf, while Dash looks longingly at that tasty looking manger, and Liam at that gnawable lamb.

Perhaps most importantly, our little snowman sits snuggly on our mantle. For this snowman was made on the very night we were engaged. This one belonged to Sean, mine has sadly disappeared in the ether. Little did either of us know that Sean would be proposing a few hours after my lab party in which the snowmen were made (thanks for the snowman craft, Kim L!). For Sean had received the engagement ring that day and just couldn't wait a day longer to ask for my hand. It sure made for a joyful Christmas season!