Pine in the A$$

Day 3's activity was obtaining our Christmas tree. Last year we did the Christmas tree farm thing: bundled up, rode the tractor out to the fields, selected a tree and listened to Chris curse as he cut it down with an entirely not-sharp-enough saw. It was...well, it was an experience and I'm glad we did it once. Mostly so we don't have to do it again.

This year we went back to our old stand-by, Home Depot. The reason I didn't actually post this yesterday is because I was far too crabby when we got home from the adventure. I always think that getting the tree will be a Fun! Family! Activity! when in reality it's sort of boring, definitely cold and requires two people with often-different aesthetic preferences to agree on one specimen.

Chris was (rightfully) picky about which tree we were going to be displaying and so had the poor Home Depot lady ripping open tree after carefully wrapped tree. She was mostly good-humored about it and I did my best to put off exasperation with the process as long as possible while trying to corral the over-excited kids. I discovered far too late that the snow pile I thought they were playing with was actually a pile of partially-dissolved ice melt. By the time I realized it, it was all over the kids' boots/shoes and subsequently all over me as I tried to wrestle them back into the cart. Oh, and some in Pacey's mouth too which greatly displeased him, understandably.

Awesome moment as the first tree unfurled and
Brighton chirped in delight, "It's a CHRISTMAS
TREE!!"

Looking for Santa

Anyway, I think we did alright in the end. We got a 9-footer (we have high ceilings in our living room) and I'm looking at it realizing I'm actually going to need a ladder to decorate it - obviously today's activity. Chris has requested that I take charge of decorating this year so that it "doesn't look like someone vomited on it." Stay tuned to see if I achieve that...