Our Tree is as Dead as the Day is Long

 

The second night it was up I managed to single hip'edly knock the whole decorated and be-lighted thing down (avoiding somehow any breakage). Water spilled. Phil refilled the water after righting the tree, after . . . well anyway after that I pretended to think he was watering the tree, and I'm sure he thought I was checking it (but I never do, year after year I never do). Anyway, no water=dead tree. Luckily we're a little distracted. Note, none of these gifts are from us to us. They are all from family to us. Pretty darn grateful we are.

Also more than a little excited. This morning a stiff warning was given, "If any paper gets torn on the packages, Mommy will take the presents back to the store". But not really. The warning has worked, though. Deacon, with all the somber seriousness of an undertaker relaying coffin-lining choices to a grieving family, admonished Bryce, "Uh-oh! Be careful Bryce! Or Mommy will have to take that one back to the store."

Bryce might be on to me, because I'd bet my stocking he only feigned concern. If you look closely, you'll notice that Grandma Greta wrapped all of my gifts in paper brandishing, "No peeking!" Sadly, she has reason: one year I did un-wrap and then re-wrap all my gifts, and it didn't ruin Christmas morning for me. Just this year I even unwrapped two gifts the boys received from Aunt Becky (then of course re-wrapped them, I'm a pro at prying Scotch tape from gift-wrap), under the guise of ensuring I didn't duplicate gifts. Phil walked in on me attempting this with another gift, and I've since given up for good.

Also, today Aunt Cathi Thompson's famous fudge arrived. Peppermint-Pecan Fudge! I am in love. If I just got this it would be enough. And I am so overcome with good cheer that this year I'll even share it (no need to discuss Christmas 2010).

Never fear, New Year's Resolutions will include strict diets. We'll eat like rabbits. We promise.