Deck the Halls

I can't remember if I had been running errands or cleaning a bathroom, but either way I distinctly remember walking into the family room and feeling like I was watching a Chevy Chase movie.

Fake tree had been brought upstairs from the basement and was being decorated. The branches had not been spread or 'fluffed'. Two of the four sections of lights on the tree didn't even work. It was evident that the kids did not think we had enough decorations because they were pulling things out of cupboards and drawers. Anything they could find that would stay on the tree was going on the tree.

ornaments.

candy.

baby rattles.

shower curtain rings, shaped like ducks.

earrings.

old candles.

hair accessories.

HELP!!!!!

In a crazy whirlwind they moved to their next project: wrapping a hideous hodge podge of non-matching Christmas lights around the banister and up the stairs. They then draped the lights, banner style, from post to post. There were five strands of lights. Two were 'twinkling' lights. The other three were solid lights. Out of the two twinkling strands, only 1 1/2 worked. Out of the three solid strands only 1/2 worked out of two.

I sat on the couch and put my head in my hands and bent over, head and hands in lap.

I heard Huz say to the kids that they needed to wait to finish decorating while he tried to exchange some of the light bulbs. The boys thought that if they yelled enough or hit the lights enough or tried every. single. electrical outlet that certainly all the lights would magically start working.

My head came up.

"No," I said, "it's either got to be all trashy or not at all. It's got to be clear that we let the kids do this. It can't at all look like we were involved in this Christmas disaster!"

I did NOT want anyone thinking we had somehow tried and failed miserably!

Bah Humbug, I know.

The next day I pulled myself together and purchased enough working lights (all solid) to cover the banister and railings. The kids rewrapped the stairs, and Huz fixed one of the two non-working strands on the tree. We left the ornaments as is and guess what?! The kids think it's the most beautiful thing in the world.

So even though we look a little (or a lot) Griswaldish, the kids will remember our house as being the most beautifully lit with the most fantastically adorned tree. And that's what it's all about right? RIGHT??? :)