This night was supposed to go smoothly because I had it all planned out. I guess that means it was destined to go wrong. I wanted to string the lights this afternoon so that it would be one less thing to do this evening, but we were a strand short. I started making dinner this morning, using the crockpot so I should have been on top of things, but the lights and dinner both combined at go hour to about do me in. We had to pick Pete up later than usual, we had to go to Wal-Mart to pick up those lights, and then we were going to go home and kick off tree decoration night. Luke was immediately tired and hungry the moment we had to pick up Pete. Pete had a huge headache-massive. We get home, stick Luke in his highchair, put water on to boil( for the noodles- we had cincinnati chili), and then decide to finish stringing the lights. Pete is sitting on the couch with an icepack to his head(watching the Simpsons) while I finish up the lights when the tree begins to fall. It just fell. I grabbed it, and well you know, it was eventful. Luke was in his highchair, I was holding the tree up, Pete and Jack got out tools to help get the tree in and out of the stand, and the water was boiling/the noodles were overcooking the whole time. This is not how I envisioned the evening. They finally get the tree in the stand but it is a bit crooked. I call timeout on the tree because I do want to finish dinner with it still being edible, and Luke really needs to go to bed. It actually didn't turn out too bad, and I stuck some cookie dough in the oven while we ate. Pete decided I was in need of my Chianti, so a big glass was poured. Pete was probably in need of his Old Style, but he had to go study, so it wasn't in the cards for him. After dinner it was time for me to get the cookies on a plate and hot chocolate with marshmallows going for Jack. Earlier in the day the idea of music flitted through my brain, and I meant to do something about it, but I never really got around to it. We have tons of Christmas cds, but the thing is we have no way to play them. We don't have a small portable cd player and neither of our computers have disc drives that work. We do have iTunes but not loaded with our Christmas music. Pete started downloading Mannheim Steamroller to put on his iPod, but you see this wasn't part of the plan. I finish stringing the lights only to find out I did it wrong. The plug part was absent at the end, it was hidden in the tree, the socket part was ready, but that doesn't really work when all you have is another socket-- they don't fit, do they? I had to take all the lights off and start all over. Jack was putting ornaments on the tree, and was actually very excited and totally pumped because this was the first time he was actually able to really help. He didn't even seem overly upset when I kept knocking them off with all my light issues. Finally, we get the lights on the tree, the music is going, the hot chocolate and cookies are out, and we are doing it-yay! The thing is, and they really don't tell you this, but Jack kept breaking our ornaments. It's ok we have plenty, so we just tell him he has to move on to the nonbreakable ornaments. He is fine with this, but many of the nonbreakable ones are heavy and keep falling off the tree when he puts them on because he puts them on the very tip of the branches. I offer to help and suggest a place to put one with penguins, this seems innocent enough but apparently isn't, he gets upset and starts to cry. I say to him," I thought you wanted to help because you like Christmas." He looks at me and says, " I thought YOU liked Christmas!" Then runs into his room and closes the door. He came out a bit later and was ready to go again. He and Pete started doing something called Ornament Ornament to Mannheim Steamroller- it was some type of punch dance move with the ornaments. Most of the time I am on the outside looking in on their games. In the end though it all ended up ok-- great even. The tree is up and looks great, Jack got to help and loves the lights, plus now he has a new Christmas dance move to show off at family gatherings.
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