The Boy and Genius Golfer went out to the shed Saturday afternoon to get the tree-in-a-box along with any other Christmas tubs or ornaments and decor that were out there. Apparently the regular green tree was shoved way int he back of the shed's loft so they opted to bring in something a little easier to access.
They brought in a white tree. It is still about 6 feet tall, but it is plastic looking--really plastic looking. I was not pleased, but they refused to dig out the "real" tree. I told them, in no uncertain tones, then if we were having a white tree then I definitely wanted colored lights of it. The Boy came back in with a ball of white wired lights with blue bulbs.
I tried to unwind them and discovered to my horror that these were the icicle type where there were strands that hung down in various lengths. Niether The Boy nor GG would budge on this, insisting that this was what they used on the tree before.
Now this I know is a lie. But they were not to be dissuaded. The three of these people I live with put the dumb tree together while I stewed about how ugly this was going to be.
Fine. I plugged in the blue lights that looked like those that lined the runways at large international airports and I directed The Boy in wrapping them around this hideous plastic tree.
Once it was lit, everyone scattered leaving me to decorate it the rest of the way. Seeing as it was already the world's ugliest Christmas tree, I figured I would only add cherished memories and old-school charm by using only the handmade ornaments. I left all the lovely collected-over-the-years Hallmark ornaments in the boxes and put up the decade old chocolate kisses angels, the hand-sewn patchwork stockings, the wire and glitter stars and all the ones the kids (or I) made over the years. Then I added ones that had been given to us that I am guessing were handmade--or at the least zushed up from what started as a store-bought ornament.
Upon realizing that the angel topper we usually use is tucked into the "regular" tree box in the shed, I asked the kids what they thought we should use to top it. Thinking that 'I'd show them' I was surprised when The Girl came up with an idea out of the blue. The Viking Blue, that is.
Since our HS colors here are blue and white, and the mascot is a Viking, she ran downstairs and grabbed my plastic Viking helmet that was given to me after a year of PTA leadership service.
The Girl added the helmet to the top of the tree and called out in her best Tiny Tim-like voice, "Once a Vikings, always a Viking!"
It certainly didn't have the ring of "God bless us, every one" but looking at our hideous tree in the neon blue glow it gave off in the front room, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
The activity of putting the tree together before The Girl left for the end of her semester was worth the awful state of the non-traditional set up. Across the room for this blue-lit plastic white tree is a piano top of nativity scenes. The box next to the tree is filled with the books about the Christmas holiday I've collected over the years with and for the kids and which we read diligently every year together.
Perhaps, as the Ginch once said, "He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!"
So, this year as I sit in the light of the airport runway-lining neon blue lights of our white plastic Viking tree, I will appreciate the joy it brought my kids to do something a little different this year, together. And I'll count my blessing for a family who loves each other, even if we aren't the "normal" family on the block. And I'll still know I am so very blessed.
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