The Tree Stands Alone

My Tuesdays packed up Christmas for me last year.  As I lay sleeping, wishing to hibernate through the winter, they wrapped each ornament, folded each branch, collected each snowman, and stowed the entirety safely in a corner of the basement.

By their grace, I awoke later that day to find that Christmas had been put away.  A silent, profound gift.

I cannot bear to think about those boxes.  The colored lights, the star, the strings of silver beads, the red ribbons.  The lit greenery Robb hung from our bedroom window and over the loft into the living room.  The millions of snowmen.  A veritable army.

The ornaments that tell our story.
Our First Christmas.
Our First Home
Baby's First Christmas.
A Family of Three.
A Family of Four.
Dozens of representations, looped with a metal hook.

(I shall go nowhere near the exterior elements.  They were his realm entirely.  I didn't even give him the decency of a happy, helpful attitude as he asked me to hold his ladder steady.)

All of these will stay tucked away this year.  A hibernation of their own.

I bought new.  It's the only way to do any of this: to start new.

The boys and I went shopping to take advantage of the early-bird, 50% off, pre-holiday sales.

We bought a tree.  Pre-lit.  White lights.  Branches glazed with faux snow.

I claimed a color scheme of silver, white, and red - shimmers and sparkles, please.  And I said yes to everything that caught their eye in the aisle of ornaments.  This tree belongs to us, boys.  As long as it fits the said criterion and color scheme, put it in the cart. 

(Tyler tried with great effort to convince me of his new love for Ariel, The Little Mermaid.  A love so deep that he would like a Chistmas stocking decorated exclusively in all things hers.  I guided him elsewhere.  I'm fairly confident this is a fleeting fancy.)

We chose dozens of ornaments that carry no meaning - except now they will forever be the ornamanets of our first Christmas as a Tricycle.  This tree will stand alone, different from all the other decorations that will stay safely hidden this year.

We have decided to put a picture of Daddy on our tree.  And I am on the lookout for an ornament that is a tricycle.