This is last year's Christmas tree. Notice the very noticeable tilt? I refused to allow dear husband to straighten it out because I was afraid it would fall again. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe it was a couple of days before Christmas when our very real Christmas tree decided to crash on the floor, just minutes after I watered it. I wanted to cry. I think I may have did. There was pine needles and dirty water everywhere. I do remember making a frantic phone call to dear husband at work, informing him it was all his fault that the tree fell on the floor. He didn't even have a chance to reply because I rudely hung up the phone. It was certainly an afternoon to remember.
I vowed last year we would never have a repeat of Christmas 2008. I'm tired of real trees, their real needles shedding on my floor and their tendency to crash. It is artificial all the way this year, especially with a very active toddler on the go. But the question is should I get a small tree or a large tree?
I have no desire to police darling daughter and tell her to step away from the tree. The following conversation plays in my head when I think of setting up a Christmas tree: "Get away from the tree, please. I said, please move away from the tree. No, don't take the decorations off the tree. Be gentle. I said gentle. Or dear, I don't think that snowflake ornament will be the same. The tree isn't a snack so stop gnawing on the branches. If I said it, I've said it a million times, stay away from the tree. Oh dear God in heaven, I said, STEP AWAY FROM THE TREE." Not a very Christmasey conversation to have with a toddler, in my opinion.
As I see it, my options are the following: (1) have no tree; (2) have a small tree and set it up on a table behind the love seat so I have the illusion of a full tree; or (3) get a big tree and let the chips fall where they may. We haven't decided what to do. I'm leaning on having no tree at all, but that is the Scrooge in me talking. We'll likely get a tree. We'll likely have to police darling daughter in staying away from said tree. And the tree will likely crash again. Not from the help of gravity, but likely by a very curious toddler.
I'm with you. We have a three-foot tree that lives on a table in the corner of the living room with the superyard XT around it so they can't pull off all the decorations. I prefer to look at it as preserving their safety, as Julia puts everything in her mouth still, and Rachel is just not gentle. I decorated the "fence" with stockings they can't hurt so it looks more festive.
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