I normally am not the proverbial slacker when it comes to Christmas – at least not in the decorations department! The weekend after Thanksgiving has always been the start of the Christmas season for our family for as long as I can recall. My mother would begin pulling out all of our Christmas decorations and tree-trimming paraphernalia the weekend after Thanksgiving, and by December 1, our home looked like a satellite office for the North Pole and remained that way until we returned to school at the beginning of the New Year.
It was always weird to go to school with the house all decorated for the holidays to come home and find everything back to normal again and all the decorations packed away. Usually the only item remaining was the tree with a few stray strands of tinsel left here and there, waiting for my dad to come home from work and take it up to the forest line to dispose of it.
Keeping Family Traditions Alive
I’ve tried to keep that same tradition for my own family. Unfortunately, I actually feel like a bonafide slacker this year. Last year when I packed away the little collection of ornaments that I had remaining (which were not broken – or light strands that actually still operated), I made a mental note that I needed some new decorations and some lights. I was going to go when everything went on sale after the holidays and grab exactly what I wanted at a bargain price.
That didn’t happen.
I want my tree decorated in silver and gold. Of course I want two of the most popular colors in the entire free world for my tree. I’ve always wanted a theme for my tree – and I was bound and determined that THIS YEAR was going to be the year that I had the decorations I wanted.
Guess again.
Murphy’s Law and the Christmas Curse
As is always the case here at Life in a House, I should have known better than to plan for anything – especially something such as a themed tree with special ornaments and lights, oh and don’t forget the beautiful real wreath that I wanted for the front door and not some plastic dime store version of the real thing. To wish to have lights in each of my windows to guide the wise men on their way – silly girl, what were you thinking?
You see, every time I make plans for something to happen a certain way, Murphy’s Law kicks into high gear just to screw with me. If I am not completely and totally spontaneous and doing something “in the moment” then whatever it is I am attempting to do just never happens.
Blame the Seizures
I had several seizures back to back on December 4 and December 5, so that didn’t help matters either. I did manage to get my Christmas knick-knacks set out the weekend after Christmas – but everything else is still packed away. Including the tree in a box – because THIS was the year that I was going to have a REAL TREE and not that plastic wannabe thing that got taken down in pieces and shoved in a box. Still have not purchased more ornaments and lights either. Didn’t get the candles that I wanted to put in each window either.
I promised the boys though that we would put the tree up tonight. That fake piece of junk that comes out of a box. Because I can’t make them wait any longer. So it looks as though it is another year with the fake tree, the fake wreath, not enough lights, and not enough ornaments.
Because I’ve been slacking this year for a variety of reasons.
I envy the people who have beautifully decorated homes done before Thanksgiving even arrives. How about you? Are you one of those amazing people who stays on top of the decorating schedule, or are you in slacker mode right along with me?
What the heck – as long as we’ve slacked off this long – let’s put up our feet and have a couple of glasses of eggnog and let the kids do what they want to the tree this year. It might be the start of a new family tradition!
Awh Amanda – thanks for sharing! I know a lot of people who have lost loved ones that are having a hard time during the holidays – and I can honestly say that there isn't a holiday go by that I don't think of my own mother and nana who always did so much to make the holidays so special for us kids. I've failed – miserably – when it comes to making the holidays as special and memorable as they did for my own children – but I keep trying. One of these years I will (hopefully!) get it right!
we have all tghe lights outside the house up thanks to Dave being a whizz with all that we have moved into a new house and were told we couldnt drill the walls yet which made things a bit awkward with some stuff . I have the tree up and decorated from the 1st of December and we go from there i have a few nik naks from my mum which are particularly poignant for me to have and keep safe . Seeing she died of a heart attack Dec 17th 2004 i hit a real low around this time of year and struggle to shift which is why i go all out making christmas special even though we are skint and i dont know how our income support will feed us we are determined . I know things are up and down for youi hun but you do what you can like all of us but im sending good thoughts and lots of love to go along with xxx