Christmas Tree Decorating

Each year Christmas decorating has evolved in our home. Two years ago everything was put together in the cover of darkness and sleeping babies. Last year, the tree was a joint effort but decorating was still left to after bedtime. This year, with Boy Howdy wanting a job and to help we opted to let him and little sister join in. Ornaments we actually care about was a mom job but shatterproof red balls and stuffed ornaments I made were all their dominion. The LOVED it and took the job very seriously as you can obviously tell.

 

The seriousness lasted a while . . . and then the silliness began. Cheeks wanted to drop balls off her head (even got big brother to join in) and hold as many in her arms as possible. I'm not sure we put up much of a fight when it came to playing with balls. I think the only stipulation we put on them was they could only have those that didn't have strings on them. Done.

  

When it came to putting our stars up (not pictured) again we, for the first time ever, let Boy Howdy help. Cheeks was slightly interested in helping, but Boy Howdy was very serious about his job as the tape boy. If any of us even looked at the tape, he would complain we were doing his job. The problem with Boy Howdy, the helper, is that he is also a boy of routine. So if, at some point, he begins climbing on a chair to give his father tape, then every time afterwards he had to climb on the chair to give his father tape, even if it meant having to then jump off because his father was now on the other side of the room. The chair still needed to be climbed no matter the efficiency. We tried to be as patient as possible, but when each piece of tape takes three or four times as long to deliver than the last, it took a lot of effort to not move on without him. Lessons in patience. That is what children give us. Just breathe.

But Christmas is up in our home and Boy Howdy alternates wondering if it will be Halloween night tonight and wondering why there isn't anything in his stocking yet. Ah Christmas with young children.