Eating crow

First off, the tree is the perfect size.  It was pretty tall and thin, so Dan had to cut it down quite a bit at the bottom, but I will fully admit to being wrong about it being enormous.  I'm glad to be wrong, and am admitting it right here, so it can be documented forever.

There's a first time for everything. ;)

Second.  Whoa, this task is exhausting.  With or without kids, the whole process... getting the necessary furniture moved, unpacking the contents of four big blue plastic tubs, putting the tree up, making sure it's straight, the lights, the ornaments, the random kitschy stuff that you have no clue where to put... so much work.

Gus was not helpful, mostly just jumped around and looked at everything and got in our way.  I would ask him if he wanted to put something on the tree, and he'd say, "Yes, I do want to put that ornament on the tree," and then he would walk over to his dad and say, "Daddy, you put this on the tree?"

When do children start being helpful with this stuff?  I remember bitching and moaning something fierce as a teenager when it was time to decorate the tree, my parents would have to practically force me to participate.  (Ugh, teenage girls can be such little punks.)  But there must be some window in there where kids are truly excited to help out and make some memories while doing it, right?  Somewhere between the toddler/preschool and the teenage years there's a sweet spot of tradition-loving helpfulness.  Can't wait.

Because who doesn't have a sequined dinosaur on their Christmas tree?

This ornament has to be the best handmade ornament ever in the history of ridiculous handmade ornaments.  I mean, it's a freaking old-school diskette!  You know, we have no idea, that disk could be an old copy of O'Dell Lake, Number Munchers, or even Oregon Trail!  Now that is a thrilling thought!  

So hilarious.  Makes me giggle every year.  Came from Dan's stash of ornaments from growing up.

We've come a long way baby.

Gus has grown up so much in the past year, it's ridiculous, though I think this was a gift from my mom and this picture was taken quite a bit earlier than Christmas-time last year.

We started the Elf on the Shelf tradition this year, like a number of our friends.  Gus named him Elvis.  Soooo random.  Yesterday he was hanging from a cabinet in our kitchen, and the day before that, upside down from a lantern in the dining room.  Tonight, we are tired, so we went literal.  Elvis, meet the shelf.

I decided this was the year, this was the year that we would stop using the old stockings from our childhood and really embraced the fact that we are GROWN UPS.  Like for real, we are the MOM and DAD.

What a trip.  I will say, I specifically did not order the stocking with the angel on it, even though I liked it better than the tree on my "Mom" stocking.  I had this feeling like I had to save it just in case we have a daughter someday.  And then also, last minute before confirming the order, I changed Dan's from the reindeer to the nutcracker, figuring another little boy would prefer the reindeer.

So I guess I inadvertently admitted to myself that I definitely want a third kid someday, huh?!