Christmas Tree

We went and got our Christmas tree! It involves spending most of the time in the car driving up and then back from the farm, but a crispy little jaunt through the “woods” has become part of our annual Christmas traditions.

This year, Jon was pleased to be able to finally hand off some responsibilities to Caleb. Caleb was less pleased to receive advice from everyone, in turn, on how best to cut the tree, in particular from people who have never cut a tree before, but I suppose there’s a life lesson in there somewhere.

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In any case, we got our tree, and it’s leaning precariously in the corner of our living room. Christmas is rapidly approaching, and I feel that it has sneaked up on us again. Slowly, quickly, things are being checked off the lists, as the school concerts and final lessons of the year wrap up. I’m hiding Christmas presents under my desk, well hidden amidst the books and boxes and other clutter, Tuna and Chicken taking turns keeping the eggs warm. Jon had a late work meeting so I fed the kids popcorn and hot chocolate for dinner and then we piled into the bed and read The Island of the Blue Dolphins, which is slightly grimmer than I remember it being when I read it as a child.

These are the good old days, and I love them. I don’t know how many more years I’ll have before Caleb heads off into the world, and then Naomi, but I’m keeping my stranglehold on them with my tentacles curled up tight while I have them, and hoping to send them off with what traditions I can, and enough courage to make their own, wherever they end up in the world.