Tuesday, December 18, 2007

it's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas!

Over the past couple of years I have discovered that I am a lover of "simple" and "understated". Therefore, I prefer no ornaments on the tree. I know, I am an oddball. But, when the kids are all tucked into bed, King and I love to sit up in the living room and stare at our beautiful Christmas tree (pre-lit Lowe's special) and chat. The fact that my view is not obstructed by old, tired ornaments calms my frazzled nerves. Not to mention the fact that I don't have to shoo any toddlers roaming about away from said tree during the daytime hours is a very good thing as well.

King is just the opposite. He prefers colored lights (even the big bulb kind) and tons of ornaments. He scoffs at my need for simplicity in the tree department. (And from the looks of my dining room table - Christmas gift central - I can understand the paradoxical nature of my logic.) He has mentioned several times that we need to decorate the tree. He even wrote it down on our "to-do" list. I had firmly held a "no ornament" stance on the downstairs tree until I looked in the two bags he brought down tonight.

Then, well..........my resistance weakened.

Now we have a few things on it (which does honor my desire for simplicity), a smattering of ornaments which commemorate the past year. At the very top is the tiara that Bia gave me when I turned 40. There are two silly-faced glittered snowmen that make me giggle when I think about the people who think that the human race is in control of the weather. The two little American flags that make me remember that we wanted to go camping over July 4th, but decided not to because of the wee ones (campfire + toddlers = disaster). The Moravian stars we got at Old Salem as well as the blown glass ornaments we got at the One Eared Cow studio make me remember the great trips we took with the kids this summer.

This is nice. Both of us are pleased. Tonight we snuggle up with a big, steaming cup of compromise.

3 comments:

Maria (also Bia) said...

mg- I'm with you . . . I love just white lights on a tree, but I have to admit that a tiara on top of the tree sounds lovely!! You always have the neatest ideas.

I've seen several people around the church/school sporting these gorgeous monogrammed scarves. Looks like someone has really been enjoying her embroidery machine!

God bless.

:o) mg said...

Oh yeah baby... that thing is THE bomb! I swear, if you stand still too long around here, you'll have your monogram sewn onto your backside!
I am actually starting to make a wee bit o'change doing stuff for folks.
Good thing, too, Mamma needs a new pair of shoes. Or a pedicure. Heck, I'd even settle for a shower! :o)

Leah said...

Oh, you'd love my tree.
White lights, a very small number of glass ornaments (all blue or silver) ribbon (blue and silver) around the tree and a bow (silver) on top.
My kids are totally bummed that I don't have more on the tree, and I am fully aware that my mother has purchased ornaments for them that will hang on the tree for, oh, two days, before the tree comes down. Those ornaments will then be delegated to the tree box where they'll stay for the remainder of their days.
That is, of course, unless I let the children start putting up and decorating the tree at some point, but who am I kidding?