Deck the halls with bells and Hollers!

It really is a good thing we have children! Because they not only make us laugh, but they also help us to remember what Christmas is really all about! For example, Rob and I decided tonite we should fulfill the annul tradition of putting up the tree, hanging the stockings by the chimney with care (aka the switch lit fireplace) and hoping that we don't kill each other or our children before the tree is even up! When Rob and I first got married we purchased a lovely fake tree, now 10 years later it is probably less than lovely and becoming increasingly the bane of Rob's existence! This tree is assembled in alphabetical order starting with "M" at the bottom and ending of course with "A" at the top. Rob had the stand up and already to "L" when Carter looked at him and the "tree" and asked "why don't we get a real tree this year?" that prompted a fast run down to the local Smith's to pick up our ohh so real, pine needles and the works, Christmas Tree!!!! The children were Jubilant! Music bursting from the background, and then came out the lights! Which were the beginning of a very long tirade of words not generally associated with the Christmas season. Once the lights were on the tree and they all finally worked we stood back to look at the sight before us..... which if one was being honest would say that it looked rather skimpy! So I told Rob as much, and asked if he could just add a few more. In my mind more twinkling is never a bad thing. Apparently the ones we had left over were outside icicle lights and turned out to be the straw that broke the camels back! Rob jokingly shouted out "That's it! Christmas is cancelled!" (A Morris family tradition)) but it sent the children into absolute silence! Really if that's all it took to shut them up I might have yelled it years ago! But Carter being Carter, walked up very calmly and put his hand on Rob's shoulder and asked him very softly " But dad, if Christmas is canceled, then why did we go through all that trouble to get that tree?"