Sunday, November 29, 2020

Trimming the Tree!

I just realized that I have not written an entry in 2.5 weeks.  That's a long time for me, but it basically sums up the fact that we really have not been up to much these past few weeks besides homeschool and just living our lives.  There really hasn't been much on the calendar, especially after our governor tightened things down again on November 16th.  Stores were required to go back to 25% capacity, all restaurants were closed for in-service dining, and all indoor recreational activities were forced to stop.  Sadly, that meant that Ella's ballet and gymnastics classes were forced to come to an abrupt halt which was such a major bummer for both her and me as she has been enjoying them so much this fall and doing so well.  Luckily, Lia's voice teacher continued to hold her weekly voice lesson and her two, Girl Scout troop leaders just decided to break the rules and continue to get the troop together twice a month for their meetings.  Although Logan's soccer season has been such a disappointment (with no practices all of August and most of September and NO games), his team can continue to meet outside although there is only one more practice left before his season ends.  So, we are slowly, but surely, plugging along and trying to focus on the things that we have to be grateful for...like the beginning of the Christmas season!  I can tell that we are not the only ones in this boat as I have never in my life seen so many people put up their Christmas lights and trees so early and I also have never seen so many empty aisles at stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby where there should be oodles of Christmas decorations and crafts.  Apparently, everyone is looking for a little magic and happiness in their lives during this Covid Christmas (as the kids and I started calling it a few weeks ago).

So, with that said, we headed out to the tree lot and chose our Christmas tree yesterday morning.  After showing up to the same lot where we have purchased a tree for the past several years, we learned that their entire batch of 7 to 8 feet trees sold out in one day after their delivery on Friday morning (yet another sign of this Covid Christmas).  As as result, we drove down the road to a smaller, Christmas tree lot that we have driven by every year on route to our usual one.  Luckily, they had just gotten a batch of trees in that morning and we were able to purchase a beautiful one that I have now declared as one of my all-time, favorite trees that we have ever bought.  After Ron helped me put it in the stand yesterday, the kids and I put on our Christmas music this afternoon and decorated to our hearts' content.  In addition, the children were able to put all of their own ornaments on the children's Christmas tree that I had purchased a few weeks earlier online.  I had decided last year that the time had come to make this investment since the kids now have so many ornaments that it was taking over our family tree in the Living Room.  The children's tree is nestled in the corner of our foyer and it looks so cute there.  We were all so pleased with the finished products and can't wait to chase Emmett in the days and weeks to come as he continues to take ornaments off the tree and throw them like "balls."  Oh dear.  The joys of celebrating Christmas with an almost-two-year-old!


The three bigger kids decorating the children's tree.


Logan hanging one of his ornaments on the kids' tree.


All four kiddos and I posing in front of the family tree.


Logan hanging an ornament.


Ella showing off a miniature wreath ornament before putting it on the tree.


Lia hanging another one up high.


After dinner was over and the kids were all ready for bed, Logan and Ella asked for permission to set up a little game around the base of the Christmas tree.  I thought that it was so cute that I couldn't resist and gave them permission to play with their toys in the glow of the Christmas tree.  Now that's the magic of Christmas right there.

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