Christmas just isn't Christmas without a real Christmas tree. This statement comes from my husband. In the 13 years of our relationship this has always been a strong point of disagreement. I now find myself really struggling to honor his real tree Christmas fantasy fulfillment for yet another Smith Family Christmas. I have been pondering this point all evening, and I am still in conflict.This year is exceptionally challenging in the "having enough time" department. Apparently my Wonder Woman Cape has mysteriously been donated to charity, because it is nowhere to be found. I spent the first part of November sick with a bad cold for about 11 days and recovered just in time to pull off Thanksgiving. Then, this past Tuesday I suddenly came down with a very bad cold/flu type thing that I actually suspected to be H1N1. I stuck with my natural remedies and chiropractic care and accepted the five day grounding to my room. Needless to say between these two illnesses I have fallen completely off course in regard to preparing for Avery and preparing for Christmas, and both are right around the corner. Quite literally.
With so much to do that now includes catching up on my normal household duties, the November and October month-end bookkeeping for the shop, updating the bills, locating a counselor to assist us through our family adoption process, securing all the documents and paperwork for the adoption, preparing our house for the home visits related to the adoption, and all of my holiday baking, gift making, shopping, and wrapping seriously just how important is a real tree? The actual pivotal point for me was when I found out hubby is going to go hunting one more time after telling me that he would be home next weekend. See, this means that I get to do it all by myself AGAIN. Somehow, gathering the tree, setting it up, caring for it, cleaning up after it, decorating it, undecorating it, taking it down, and disposing of it are all my responsibility. Hubby NEVER helps aside from actually putting it into the stand...sometimes. The rest of that list is all me with the occasional child helper; which is getting less and less the older they get.
Finally, I had visions of a family day together decorating the home and putting up the tree coming to fruition this coming Sabbath. What a beautiful way to spend the day, right? I could live with the beast of a chore making tree if it was a fun family day. However, my vision disappeared like a movie tape in the heads of an old, dirty VHS player when hubby let me know that he was going to go hunting again one day next weekend. Of course, he has no idea which day. This man knows nothing of planning. Can you say, "AHHHH!"
My defiant, independent self wants to just chuck everything and not have a tree. Well, I know the revolt that would come from that one, so the next best thing in my book is a good old-fashioned fake tree. My ideal? A 4-foot tree on an end table covered by a pretty, white sheet in front of the window. Totally works for me. Easy up. Easy down. No muss. No fuss.
Any opinions?
6 comments:
I agree with the fake tree sounds like you're stressed enough.
Jude - Thanks...fortunately I don't feel stressed. Maybe a little intimidated by everything, though. It is a lot on one plate. I've been trying to divide it up into bite sized pieces. :o)
Hon, if your husband wants it that bad then he can do it all - otherwise just do what makes YOU happy. )Love the line about your super woman cape LOL)
Grace - Thanks! :-) Just an FYI...I caved and just got a real tree this year, again. However, I did do it differently. I was honest with the farmer, and he helped me pick out a smaller more manageable tree than I normally get. It was MUCH easier to set up and decorate. Plus, it did feel good supporting a Michigan farmer. We'll see what next year brings. Maybe I'll have a different attitude. Maybe I won't be too pooped to take a stand. Who knows? LOL
December 23rd, 2009
Dear Tina,
Good choice to get a smaller, but real tree. Great compromise!
At our house, the children and I would have liked to have had a real tree, but our man to do this chore, decided not to do it. The ironic thing is that we own forests and usually cut our own tree! I was tempted today to buy a half-priced tree in town from some other grower when the children and I went last-minute shopping. But that would have been a big no-no to my tree-farmer-husband. So this year our eight-year-old and five-year-old will have no Christmas tree. I think it's sad.
Good that you have cut things down to size. If you have been ill with this flu, you really need to only do what is absolutly necessary and throw everything else "over board". Been there. Done that.
It was interesting reading about how you are dealing with problems that are similar to the ones I have myself.
Happy Christmas & New Year!
Best wishes
Anna
Anna - Sorry you didn't have a tree for your kiddos this year. I can relate on some weird level with what you must be dealing with. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one that does anything to make life fun and special and family centered. I guess it's the plight of women. How disappointing that you have a forest just waiting to give you a tree, but your man didn't get the job done. However, Christmas is what you make it...no tree required. If it had been up to me I would have likely not had one this year. Just seems like a lot of bother to me this year. However, the tree is up. It is pretty and festive in our home in a very simple way. It worked out fine. I did think it was funny that my guy was out hanging lights on the house Christmas Eve. Why bother at that point, but it made him happy. Whatever floats his boat. Glad you are having a nice holiday despite the tree. Happy New Year!
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