What's next???

I really don't like Maddy right now. I keep thinking of her perky self while I got railroaded into decorating for Christmas tonight. In a weak moment yesterday, I told the kids that we could put up the tree tonight after Mike got home. THE TREE.

Lets start by saying that I had to pull out about 5 totes of decorations before I could even see the box that the tree is packed in. It is all under a closet that is under our stairs, so I have to crawl towards the back, bending over trying not to hit my head. Of course with every box I went to retrieve, all three kids would follow me into the freaky dark little room that is under the stairs. It is L shaped, and of course all of the Christmas decorations are past the curvy part of the L. Each box the kids would jump up and down, "Is that the tree? Is that the tree???" Me: "If I don't have room to put these plastic totes, then the tree is never coming out!!! Now excuuuuuse me!"

Well now somehow the tree getting pulled out tonight has turned into decorating the rest of the house with Christmas stuff. Matthew keeps pulling ornaments out and placing them on tables and chairs throughout the downstairs. I can't wait to find all of those later tonight. I could say no, but he is having so much fun decorating. I am starting to see why my mom did most of the decorating while I was at school, and left just enough for me to do to keep happy. Smart mom! ;)
Just think though, she not only had to deal with putting each branch into the 'trunk' of the tree, she had to string lights and then deal with my dad and I throwing icicles in clumps all over the place. I'm sure there was a lot of late night rearranging by her.

Have I mentioned how much crap I bought last year at Target? I have to admit that I had some pretty sorry decorations for years. We had that "just got married, need cheap decorations" look, for umm... 14 years. I had a lot of nicer things in there, but I am so happy to finally be able to replace my ugly plastic bead garland that I bought at Sprouse in Wickenburg. So, I have to admit that I am kind of excited about how many things I had forgotten that I bought, that still have tags on them. Of course the best part is knowing that most of it I got for 75% or 90% off, so I just giggle at my $10 iron reindeer that cost me next to nothing! I have a little herd of them now.

Mike was laughing at me that some of the ornaments that I bought last year resemble pumpkins. They are pretty glass, and yes, now I see it. They look like pumpkins. Silver and orange pumpkins. Who says Halloween can't be a little part of Christmas?

So wish me luck. I'm going back out into the battlefield of tissue paper and ornaments. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I reeeeally just wish that Maddy would bring her cute self over here and either help me or sing some Abba Christmas music while I'm decorating.