The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree - Day 20

How do you make room for Christmas? Do you clean off the mantle? Maybe move pictures from atop the piano? Do you rearrange furniture to make room for the tree? How do you make room for Christmas in your life?

I am not sure about anyone else, but my life is very full. I work full time and then some. The boys’ schedules keep me busy. I try and keep it a secret but I also go work out a few times a week. None of this gives me a lot of spare time for things like making cookies, decorating trees, or making gingerbread houses. If I don’t have time for the smaller things like that, how do I make time for the bigger Christmas things? How do I make room for Hope? Peace? Joy? Love? If this season is supposed to be about honoring Christ’s birth how do I make room for that?

I heard a sermon once where the preacher equated preparing for Christ’s birth to preparing your home for the holiday season. There was a whole analogy of clearing out the living room so you can bring in the biggest tree and place it in the picture window in the front of the house so that it decorates both the inside, and also can be seen from outside the windows. It wasn’t a bad sermon, and I understand where he was trying to go, so I am choosing to ignore some obvious weakness of the analogy, as well as the whole, “did I really just hear a sermon about a Christmas tree?”

The boys and I had to move a trunk we use as an end table. We had to bring the tree and decorations up from the basement. In terms of actual rearranging the house that isn’t a very big commitment. The bigger commitment was the time it took to get the decorations together, and the time commitment to get the boys to agree to decorate the tree with me. How does that fit the analogy? Believe me there has been little Peace in my house this holiday season. If I struggle to carve out time to hang a garland how do I carve out time for Hope? If I failed to get it together to hang lights on the house, how much more likely am I to find the time for Joy? When people drive by my house, or come for a visit, I want them to see a beautifully decorated home, but people live here, and it definitely isn’t always a shiny inviting page from a holiday home magazine. I want people to look at my life and family and see Love, but again, I am human, and certainly flawed.

If I fail at reorganizing my life for these giant important themes of the advent season, can you blame me for failing to find time for silliness like gingerbread houses, or Christmas caroling? Except that somehow I do find time for some of the silliness. The boys and I did get the tree decorated. We watched the Charlie Brown special. We made time for a light parade with my sister and her kids. Maybe if I haven’t carved out a big place for Hope, Peace, Joy or Love, and if I myself am not a glowing example of those aspects, maybe it is enough that there are moments of these in my life.

Last night Matthew and his mama fell asleep on the couch cuddled up under blankets and a cat, and that was Peace. Every time my Paul and my Matthew do the Christmas dance, that is Joy. When Kat shares that she stopped on her way home to give food to homeless people, that is Hope. And, this feeling I have for these crazy, silly, fascinating group of people that make up my family, that is Love.

So maybe the analogy of cleaning your house to display the shining Christmas tree of perfection doesn’t work for me. Maybe a better analogy of preparing for Christmas is like pouring milk into a bowl of cereal. The bowl seems full before the milk, but there is still room to add it, and instead of displacing the cereal, or having to remove the cereal to make room for the milk, the milk flows around and fits into the available space. So maybe the important parts of Christmas are flowing around the other parts of my life and filling in the spaces? I’d like to believe that is so.

Day Five 2016

The year without a Santa Claus…

Imagine if you will, a year without Santa.  Ok, I have said before that Kathleen and I did not do Santa with our boys, because of…reasons.  But imagine that you were a child that did believe in Santa and that suddenly one year, he didn’t come.  You still have Christmas, but it’s not as shiny, not as bright, not as joyful.  That is some of what I am feeling now.  I am not naive enough to believe that the whole world should be joyful this time of year, but just for 25 days I would like MY life to be joyful.  At the very least, I’d like to not be depressingly sad.

So, rather than dwell on the latest hurt, let’s talk about Christmas 1998.  Now the year before, Christmas 1997 had been an amazing year, Kathleen was pregnant with Paul, my Mom and my sister Jenni surprised us right before our party and stayed through Christmas.  That wasn’t the only surprise, Steph and Clyde came up from Wister of course, and Brian and Kathy Gibson came to the party, and Brian Stephens drove all the way from Colorado to be there, bringing his dog Odie, who was mostly chow with him.  My favorite thing about Odie was that she was our dog Angel’s puppy.  How a Chihuahua/dachshund gave birth to a part chow puppy, I’ll never know, but it’s true. 

Our townhouse was filled with people, and I paid Baby Scott $7.85 to take peoples coats up the stairs to my bedroom, so I wouldn’t have to run up and down the stairs.  Why $7.85?  I offered him $5 but he told me he needed $7.85 because he was saving for a street hockey set to use with his roller blades.  Ahh the 90’s.  With bargaining tactics like that, how could I refuse?

The living room held the largest tree we’d had to date, elevated ceilings made a giant 7 foot tree a necessity. There were candles everywhere, and white twinkle lights.  Kathleen looked lovely in black velvet and pearls, and Stephanie was beautiful in a black top with bejeweled buttons and vibrant head scarf.  Elisa Gail’s Christmas dress from me was crushed red velvet and cream lace, and her shoes fit her fine that year.

The menu was the epitome of pre-2001 menus.  The ‘yard of beef’ beef stick, an assortment of cheeses, a round cheese ball (thank you Mary Price for the recipe) and a cheese log, the veggie tray had my dill dip, and the spinach dip.  I also made a version of a veggie dip with tofu because my Mom and Jenni were vegan that year (although I saw Jenni eating cookies and drinking eggnog). We had cranberry punch, and eggnog, and plenty of ‘grown up’ drinks.  For desserts there were 3 types of fudge, (chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch), cookies, and tiny angel shaped mints that were dipped in white chocolate.  

All this description to say, it was a good year. A very good year.  An extraordinary year.  We felt surrounded by our family and people who loved us, and were looking forward to becoming parents. I have heard it said that you can;t always tell when you are happiest becuase you are thinking about other things, but I think we knew we were happy, blissfuly happy, and not in tune enough to know that it wasn't likely to come around again.

Christmas party 1998 was not that.  It was possibly as far from that as could be. I had been training for 8 weeks in Tulsa for a new job, living in an apartment Mon-Fri and coming home on the weekends.  Kat was working in MWC, and struggling as a single mom.  We knew at Thanksgiving that Stephanie and Clyde and Elisa Gail would not be coming for the party and unless some miracle occurred, it was not likely Stephanie would be attending any more.

I finished training a week before the party, at the ‘graduation’ they announced that the company had filed for bankruptcy but not to worry, it would be business as usual. I came back to Oklahoma City and worked 3 days, Monday night they announced the company wide Christmas party had been canceled, but not to worry, business as usual.  Tuesday they announced that all the new hires that had all the fabulous benefits that were supposed to kick in January 1, would have to wait 6 months, minimum. But not to worry, business as usual.  Wednesday night after work they said, anyone who had the company insurance, should not use their insurance, until after the first of the year. But not to worry… It looked like the writing was on the wall; I had lunch with my former boss on Thursday and asked for my At The Beach job back, and got the ok to start back on the Monday after our party.

  

So, overall, not in a good place getting ready for the party.  Wednesday night I think Kat suggested changing the menu, completely.  So we did, we still had fudge, and eggnog, but we subbed in hot apple cider, and no cookie press cookies, just chocolate chip style cookies.  No beef stick and cheeseball, instead we did an interesting soy sauce soaked cream cheese spread sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.  Kat added a warm appetizer of sliced sweet potatoes with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of fresh dill. 

Instead of decorating the house with a big tree and all the trimmings, I hung the twinkle lights from the ceiling beams and that was it.  Kat put her nativity on the mantle and we called it done.  

The crowd was smaller too.  Some years when the party is closer to Christmas we have a smaller crowd, so we weren’t expecting a big turn out, but I think all told we had 8-10.  The Powells were there, and the Allens, and Najah and Karen Hylton, and Mike and Donita Fisher, and Tammy Johnson.  That was it.  

Even though it was smaller, the party was lovely, and there was lots of laughter.  How could any party with my Paul not be full of laughter?  Every person that came in the door surprised him and he yelled HEY! At them, as though asking ‘where did you come from?’  Paul and Katie and Riley played and had fun until there was no more fun to be had.  Then Katie and Riley went home and Paul got his jammies, and Najah held him for the longest time, and she explained how the parties where everyone comes are all the same, everyone telling her how much she has grown and how much she looks like her mom.  This may have been the year she asked if we knew any other black people we could invite in the future.

What did we learn that year? That year that didn’t shine as brightly as the year before? That year that held the promise of future loss?  That even in the darkest nights that we are not alone, that our family is here, that people we love as though they are family are here, that my Paul can always make me smile, and that even when I can’t see God in any of this, maybe He is still here.

Day Seventeen 2016

My second post for today requires the way back machine. 

This picture was taken the first year my Mom and Dad were married.  They were still students at California Baptist College and the occasion was the winter social or some such.  The way I remember my Dad telling it is that as the event approached my Mom was disappointed that she didn’t have a new dress to wear to the event, or maybe it was that she didn’t have a dress that fit?  The reason is fuzzy, but the dress was the issue.  So my Dad went out and picked this fabric, that he thought was lovely, and somehow conspired with his new mother-in-law to get this dress made for my Mom.  As the story goes, my Granny Horton ran a dry goods store and the local seamstress kept a dressmakers dummy set to my mom’s measurements so the task was accomplished much easier than expected.  So, when the time came for the winter formal, ho ho ho, my Mom had a brand new dress that my Dad had surprised her with.  And they posed, like everyone else I assume, with Santa that night.

I love this picture even without the cute story, because my parents look so young, and so happy together.

Then there is the flip side of this story.  In 1991, the first year that Kathleen and I were married, we had a similar situation with the big Hanging of the Green at OBU.  We were newlyweds, formal dresses weren’t exactly a budget item.  However, Kathleen did have a blue bridesmaid dress that she had worn to Hope Snow’s wedding the year before.  The problem was that it looked like a bridesmaid dress.  Sure, everyone says you will wear them again… But really, bright blue taffeta, puffy sleeves, drop waist with a giant bow offset on the hip.

First off all, Kathleen was never going to wear anything with a giant bow (again), even though the dress came with a matching hair bow.  So I took the dress to Ardell, the seamstress who made it, (and Kat’s wedding dress) to see if there was a way to cinderella the dress into something wearable.  I don’t know why we didn’t take pictures, or if we did, I don’t know where they are.  I think ultimately what happened was the sleeves came off and the bow.  A black lace sash was added and then pinned with a vintage brooch where the bow had been.  She wore it with her black gloves and vintage hat that was mostly netting and ribbons.  Best part? No one knew it was a bridesmaid dress.

Well. Best part was probably that Kathleen was happy.  

Day Eleven 2016

Since 2011 I have asked the boys to help out and write a blog entry for me.  So far I have been less than successful getting a response.  UNTIL NOW... Here is my Matthew's contribution.

Year Of Firsts

Writing this I realized; I haven't actually written for this blog before. I've been recorded for it. I've been photographed for it. I've been quoted, and I have been the topic.  But I've never actually written anything for it yet. So this can be the year of firsts. For me, anyway.

It's the first year I'm writing something for the blog. It's the first year I don't want it to be Christmas yet. I'm sure you can think of why, (too much heartache). It's the first year I only asked for two things for Christmas. It's the first year I had to take midterms. It's the first year I haven't been able to help nearly as much as I wanted, (broken hand). Year of firsts for me.

It's also the year my father told me to 'liberate' an ornament #OrnamentLiberationFront.  I have been told that it's actually considered 'theft' if you attempt to liberate an ornament off of a tree in Walmart or Buy For LeSS. I'm fairly certain it's only theft if you get caught. However, I have not liberated anymore ornaments. That I will admit too, that is.

Although, I will admit that my family might be slightly insane at times. More so, when the year is coming near to an end. And this is something I've recently noticed. Just this year actually. All of these reasons make this year my year of firsts.

Day Eight 2016

I am not alright. I said I was struggling this month and today I am not OK.  Today they buried my friend Jay.  Sometimes I call him Okie Jay, or BJ, to differentiate from Texas Jay, or the Jay that was my roommate at OBU. 

I knew this crazy dude for 20 years, then he went and ended his own life a week ago, and I am not even close to being alright.  Once again I find myself explaining that of course there are people who are probably mourning him more that I am, his parents, his son, his family, his former loves.  By all accounts tonight his best friend was in pretty bad shape.  However, while all that is true, I am not OK with him being gone.

He once called me his mentor and said I taught him everything he knew about sales.  That is flattering because that boy could sell a hairbrush to a bald man and had a personality that could fill a room.  Have you any idea how hard it is to say goodbye to that?

Some people at the Remembrance and at the after party were angry with him, and some people are looking for someone to blame, or trying to find an explanation why.  I think everyone was thinking if he had just called… So many people loved him, and this is unbearable.

So what is my big holiday take away?  How do I make this merry?  I don’t.

There is this quote from The Little Prince that I like

And there is this, that I got from Texas Jay.

I will miss my friend, and I will never forget him.

Denver 2011

Christmas Roundup.

How did you celebrate this year? Did you get all the gifts that you wanted?  I hope Santa was good to you.  But, no matter how good your Christmas was, I doubt very seriously that it was as good a haul as my Matthew got this year.  In the last few years, as a family, we have downscaled the gift giving, in 2013 we tried the ‘something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something they need’.  It certainly calms things down.

This year, that is not exactly what happened.  Well, we tried anyway.  The Monday after the party, while Paul was at work, (pay attention to that, it is important) Kat, Matthew and I went and did our Christmas shopping, getting most of the gifts we had planned on getting.  We had the traditional pajamas, new pants the boys can wear to school, underwear, books, and let Matthew choose games for the Xbox for Paul and him.  I thought we had it covered, and really felt good that there would not be that last minute Christmas eve shopping that I am kind of known for.

Tuesday night we went to see the Nutcracker, but if you are playing along at home, you know that.  Wednesday night my co-workers and I worked late, in anticipation of being off work for several days.

Thursday was Christmas Eve, and everyone was off work.  Kat got up early and she and Paul left to run a few errands.  I figured she needed to grab the usual pan dulce for Christmas morning, and some supplies for our Christmas eve enchiladas, and I know Paul wanted to do some Christmas shopping for his brother. I was half right.

Paul did his Christmas shopping at Sam’s, FYE, Half Price Books, and Dollar Tree. He spent what amounts to an exorbitant amount on gifts.  The best part of his having a job is how generous it allowed him to be.  And he was generous in the extreme.  When Kat and Paul made it home, with barely enough time to get it together to make it to church on time, the SUV was loaded down with gifts.  Think Santa’s sleigh. In fact, when Kat and Paul got home and were unloading the gifts, one of them was so large it was impossible to hide.

Matthew had asked for a refrigerator, like a dorm sized one for his room.  Kat and I had reservations because I was pretty sure that meant we would never see Matthew unless he needed laundry.  Paul had no such reservations and not only did he gift Matthew with the deluxe model dorm refrigerator, he stocked it with Matthew’s favorite energy drinks and Dr. Pepper.  These gifts Matthew received before we left for church.  If that had been all Paul gave him, Matthew would have been over the moon.

After we got home from Christmas eve dinner with the Grandparents, Paul shut himself away in his bedroom and wrapped presents, for over an hour.  I am pretty sure he loved wrapping all those gifts. 

Christmas morning Matthew opened two different styles of headphones, and a wireless speaker that has a lightening ball on top, books, and a game for the Xbox. Last minute Paul changed his mind and gave me the $25 gift card for half price book that he had purchased for Matthew.  Kathleen got a screw driver with exchangeable heads.

Paul had to work Christmas night, and as soon as he went to work, Matthew started in on his Christmas surprise, something he had planned out before he knew Paul was showering him in gifts.  First, Matthew cleaned Paul’s room. He did an excellent job (the benefits of a slight touch of OCD). Then he carefully gift wrapped all the furniture in Paul’s room; the bed, the dresser, the TV, the Xbox, the pillows, the Xbox controller and the club chair.  It looked amazing.  I wasn’t sure how Paul was going to react when he got home, I was concerned that if he had a rough night he would not be appreciative of what Matthew had done.  I tried to prepare Matthew but he assured me it would be no big deal, that if Paul wanted he could sleep in Matthew’s bed and that he, Matthew, could sleep on the couch.

I shouldn’t have doubted, Paul was pleasantly surprised, but he was happy when he got home, he couldn’t stop smiling and giggling.  He swore he was never going to unwrap anything.  I persuaded him to at least unwrap the bed and the pillows to start with.  Currently only the dresser and the club chair are still wrapped, but he is holding out as long as he can.

The best gift I received that day was seeing how generous and loving my boys are with each other.  Proud Papa here. 

Nutcracker Sweets

Tuesday night we went to see the Nutcracker at the civic center.  We have been meaning to go all season, after all Emily Thompson is in It this year. For those of you playing along at home Emily is the daughter of our friends Tom and Jodi Thompson. Yes,that Jodi Thompson.  Emily is all grown up at 18 and an apprentice ballerina with the OKC Ballet.  I am proud of her, so I can’t even imagine how proud Tom and Jodi are.

I meant to go earlier in the season but we were busy, and had party prep, and suddenly we had run out of nights. So we went Tuesday, the last night, and were joined by Jodi, who either is such a fan of mine, or such a fan of her daughter that she wanted to see another performance.  My boys have not been to the ballet before, and I wasn’t certain how they would enjoy it.  Also I had some concerns about their attire.  I left some instructions about what I thought they should wear, but they don’t always listen to me. They did ok, even though they did not exactly follow my instructions. At least I assume they did ok, Jodi didn’t say anything about their attire, so I think we were safe.

Remember the last time I went to see the nutcracker? I tend to sleep through the Snowflakes. This year though, Em was a snowflake so I knew going in I needed to be awake for that part. I drank a 5 hour energy on my way, so I figured I would be ok.  Let’s just say that at least I was awake for the important parts.

So how was the Nutcracker? Well, since we were primarily interested in seeing Emily dance, this version of the Nutcracker is the story of a young woman who goes to a fancy Christmas party in a fabulous dress with several children, probably not her own since she is so young. I am thinking second wife. Not a home wrecker though, probably the first wife was an evil queen.

After the party there is a lovely snowstorm with dancing snowflakes.  I liked it when it snowed on the stage, I thought that was very clever.  And yes, I did stay awake for that part! Yeah me.

At the close of the second act there are dancing flowers. Some other stuff happens in between, But mostly that was the important part.  Also, since the whole ballet is about Em, it seems like bad staging not to have her front and center where it would have been easier for people to see her. Just a thought.

And no, for those of you wondering, I did not jump up and yell EMILY! I KNOW HER! I KNOW HER! Every time she came on.  I am not saying I wasn’t tempted to, but discretion and valor and all that.

A helping hand.

How do you know when you need help? Sure when you are dangling from a cliff by the tips of your fingers you need help but how about when you started down the trail? Or when you got the edge of the cliff to look over? Or when you leaned out to take the perfect selfie? At any point someone could have stepped in and given you some help before it was too late.

If you read the blog, or know me at all you have hear me mention our friend Heather.  We know Heather from college, she was in many of my Spanish classes with me, and she and Kat had many we should be studying giggle fests.  After College Heather moved to Austin, but in 2001 she moved back to OKC and became a more or less constant part of our lives.  In fact, when I was traveling for work most of 2010 and 2011 Heather stayed with us and was a huge help to Kathleen.

But this is not about that.  This is about party prep 2009.  It was bitterly cold, the Friday before the party and I had reached the “This house will never be ready” stage, Kat was at “No one is coming and there won’t be enough food!”  About noon there was a knock on the door, and there was Heather.  “I thought you could use some help.”

The thing is, very few people can help.  It isn’t easy to step into the kitchen with Kathleen and work alongside her without being more in her way than helpful. But Heather is one of those people.  We had lunch, then Kathleen and Heather rolled truffles, and bonbons, made cookies, and that last minute batch of fudge. Sometime before dinner Heather was the angel that helped our tired brains figure out what serving dishes we needed to serve the food for the party, and cleverly labeled them with post its to avoid confusion.   She worked tirelessly, and was in such good spirits and so quick to laugh, it made the work enjoyable.  The later it got Heather even said she had her nightgown in the car and could take a catnap on the couch so we could get an early start, but thankfully, with her help we wound down around 2am. 

Heather is back in Owasso where she grew up. With her family, who, I am sure, are delighted to have her there.  I don’t completely hate her family for that, Just maybe a tiny bit.  You see there have been so many times this week as we are crazy preparing for things that someone has said, “That’s a Heather thing,” only to realize someone is going to have to suck it up and do it ourselves.

When I tell Heather that she is our favorite, I might not be kidding.

Not a Christmas Party Picture

Day 19. Party Review

After the party, because why would we think to take a picture BEFORE the party?

It seems odd to post the party review as the blog entry for the 19^th day when the party was on the 20^th  but you need to over look that if I am going to get caught up in a timely manner.  How was the party?  Amazing stupendous fantastic seems like an apt description.

So many people showed up!  We didn’t have a guest book this year but our best count is about 82 people.  We ran out of plates and Tony Lawrence-Harjo had to run to get some, and Ashley Glover had to bring more with her when she came.  I am in their debt! 

Best thing that someone brought to eat?  Right now I think it was the gingerbread cookie bars that Summer Witt brought. ALL THE WAY FROM COLORADO!  She drove up for the party and surprised Kat and I both.  We miss our Colorado peoples and this was a nice treat.  Other out of state guests were Elizabeth & Doug Worley who drove up from Abilene Texas, and Kortney & Andrew McQuade who actually just moved back to Oklahoma this week just in time for the party.

Korney, don't tell Najah!

I did forget to take pictures of the table scape and decorations this year.  I regret that because I really likes the gingerbread house theme. The best party decoration though was the photo booth back drop.  Matthew suggested it (thanks pinterest). I wasn't sure when we were setting it up, but when I see the pictures people took I am really pleased.  

If you missed the party I am sorry that you did, because I missed seeing you there and hope to see you at some other occasion soon. Any rumors that I may have started about people who didn't show up... well lets just agree your lives are more interesting the way I tell them.

Is it too soon to start planning for next year?

Day 8. From My Paul

My Paul shared this sweet, sweet story with me tonight.

In the last few weeks since the play was over I have been walking myself home and stopping at the McDonalds to get a coke zero on the way home.  Since I have been in there a few times I have been noticing some of the same people are there too.

There is this one old man and old lady that come in together when I am there.  They are very old, and very sweet to each other.  I noticed that he always gets the food, one of everything and brings it back to the table where she waits, sitting next to the big Christmas tree they have there.  Then after they say a small prayer he sits with her while she eats.  He doesn’t even eat a french fry until she is done. Then he eats.

The last time I held the door for them as they were leaving and I told him I thought it was very nice how he always treated her so kindly.  I asked him why he always waited for her to finish eating before he eats.  He just laughed at me and said “I wait because they are her teeth we are using!”

Do me a favor? Floss really well tonight!

Joker's Christmas Tree

Last year I wrote about Matthew and his Pink and Green Christmas tree. When we were decorating last year Paul asked who put Matthew in charge and wanted to know if he could choose for next year.  I agreed and he said we were having a purple and green Christmas tree.  The Joker tree is what he called it.

So periodically he’s checked out Pinterest and done some internet research, but never really came up with the solid plans that Matthew had.  Solid plan or not, he held to his idea.  So last week the boys and I hit up Michael’s with a 40% coupon to see what we could find.  Initially I was thinking I could steer him towards some sort of peacock themed tree.  Not that I was in love with that idea but it was the best I could come up with that involved green and purple.

When we got there Matthew scoped out the decorations and explained to Paul that we could either go with bright colors, like the pink and green he did last year, or go with darker colors like burgundy and dark green. ‘Like in the olden days’.  Paul pondered and chose bright colors.  Matthew helped him pick some green Christmas balls.  Paul found some giant purple silk poinsettias. A few aisles over the Christmas picks were half off.  The boys pretty much loaded up the cart with green and purple glittery things. 

I am not a real big fan of those Christmas picks as tree decorations, but you know what I am a fan of?  Watching my boys work on things together.  Paul has particular tastes and he was doing a good job picking the things he liked, and Matthew was doing a good job of keeping Paul focused on the task at hand. “Is that purple or is that green?  It seems pink to me, let’s go with this one, it is really purple.”

They also chose supplies for several Christmas crafts.  I am not sure if we will have time for them before Christmas or not, but I am interested in what they come up with.  Paul chose 4 large wooden letters that spell out XMAS.  I asked if he was concerned people would say he was taking Christ out Christmas. He just rolled his eyes, and Matthew explained that in ancient times the X stood for Christ. “Really Papa, what are you thinking?”

On our way home Paul confided to me that he wasn’t as good at crafts as Matthew was.  I said I didn’t think that was true.  Then Paul gave me a shopping list of all the crafts that Matthew has thought up.  I agreed that Matthew is pretty creative, but that reminded Paul that everyone has their own special talents, and that as long as he enjoyed doing crafts I didn’t think it mattered whether or not he was the one to think them up.  Then I asked if he could tell which of the picture frames from last year he did and which Matthew did.  He admitted that they all looked the same.  Which was exactly my point.

Last night Paul decorated his purple and green tree.  I culled through our other ornaments and pulled out some dark green balls, and a purple fan from pier one in 1992. It did not take him very long.  Now I admit that the back of the tree is a little bare but you can’t tell.  I had asked Matthew if he wanted to help, but he declined.  He said it was Paul’s project and he didn’t want to be too much in charge.  Plus he has his silver tree to decorate later.

Again, I do not love this type of tree decoration, but I adore my boys, and Paul is really proud of his tree.  Therefore I freakin LOVE this tree.  Matthew even told Paul he couldn’t have done it better himself.