merry christmas

the tree

The storybook adventure of cutting down our family Christmas tree has been beat out by practicality again this year. And I gotta say, I don't really mind. Our Fraser Fir is softer, cheaper and closer than the U-Cut trees we've had in the past.

Three little kids to keep track of, a husband who is putting in overtime at work, and a rainy forecast were all the reasons I needed to confirm that a trip to Home Depot was the clear winner, not a 25 mile one-way drive to the nearest tree farm. And once we arrived? At one point I was walking the stroller in circles to get Matthew to sleep, Morgan and Andrew were down another aisle discussing the "snake" (corrugated 6" drain tubing) and Scott was among the bundled trees, attempting to slice open the nets with his keys.

Joy to the world.

But in the end, we found this year's winner without too much digging. And we did have joy there in between the rain drops. We ended our adventure with a surprise doughnut stop, a perfect accompaniment for the hot chocolate that was promised back at home. 

As we sat around the table, I began to get my Christmas spirit back. It felt good to have anticipation again for something special. 

Scott was goofing around with the kids, pretending to feed Matthew his long john doughnut while perched on his lap. They were giggling and enjoying our time as a family. And so was I. 

This morning was everything I needed.


This year's tree was courtesy of the folks at Slocum Farms in Hart, Michigan. 
Thank you, 10-second camera timer, for such an awesome picture of my family. 

if only

Last night before bed, Andrew was a busy boy, asking Scott, "Can I have some water in my pans?"

Hmm.

"Buh, buh, buh, but I need water to get dinner started like the Barefoot Contessa," he pleaded.

Like who?

"Like the Barefoot Contessa. I need water so I can get dinner started," he said with all sincerity.

Oh, how I wish I could send Andrew into my kitchen to get our dinner started, especially this week. I've experienced my first encounter with serious illness as a stay-at-home-mom. With a sinus infection gone wrong, a 102 degree fever and lack of adequate sleep, I've needed a vacation from motherhood. Thankfully I was able to call in a sick-day - I have an awesome husband who stayed home to take care of household business. And me.

A trip to Urgent Care and a prescription for antibiotics has me on the mend. I've tried hard today to take it easy, to let someone else handle the dailies, and to realize that not everything needs to be done immediately.

Better now than in a few weeks, I suppose. Christmas preparations will be underway on Saturday when we get a tree and begin to decorate around the house. No time for sickness!