Each year I dread more and more the thought of putting up our Christmas tree. I know, that's pretty Scrooge-like. But every year the kids get so excited and start helping and I end up getting stressed while trying to make sure nothing gets broken.

I had it in my mind that I was NOT going to get too stressed this year when it came to decorating the tree.

We always get a real tree. I grew up always having a real tree and I love the smell of a real Christmas tree in the house. Tad, on the other hand, does not like getting a real tree. He has his reasons...it's a fire hazard, it pricks his hands badly getting it in and out of the house, blah, blah, blah. I love a real tree and so does the kids, so this year when Tad said, "Let's get a fake tree," the idea wasn't taken too great. But after thinking long and hard about I said what the heck let's get a fake tree. Mostly the kids were just excited to have a tree whether it was real or fake, with the exception of Drennan who is still pretty bummed about a fake tree.

After we got the tree and put it up, I noticed Jude kept getting his toy chain saw (his favorite toy) and trying to mimic what he has seen Tad do so many times. The problem was, he was trying to cut down our Christmas tree. Not good. Thankfully the ornaments weren't on yet.
The next day we put on the ornaments and I heard one of the other kids yelling that Jude was knocking off ornaments. When I checked on him he, once again, was using his chain saw and trying to cut down the tree.

We finally talked him out of cutting down the tree, and I thought all was good. I mentioned on Facebook that I am glad Jude is older because now he shouldn't be trying to grab the ornaments and eat them. Well, last night as I was getting ready for bed I heard Lila yell, "Jude is taking off the ornaments." When I went downstairs, I found this:


He was one by one taking off the ornaments and placing them gently into his seat.
Pretty sure the seat was filled a little more, but Lila had already started putting them back on the tree.

We are finally done decorating the tree, and hopefully Jude will lose interest in it pretty soon (fingers crossed).


We used to put the breakable ornaments up high so the little ones couldn't reach them. This year most all of them are up high. You do what you gotta do to have a somewhat non-stressful Merry Christmas.