Oh Christmas Tree... a story of one mom's guilt

Well it’s here. Our Christmas Tree. Only one problem. It’s naked.

Siting in our family room for over a week, it stands there alone and naked. No ornaments, no lights, no tinsel. As if to mock me. Just staring at me waiting and hoping.

But yes! This morning is the morning… decorations are coming, tree. I promise!

After looking at this beautiful evergreen for a week, 7 asked me earlier this morning if we are event going to decorate it this year. She kind of thinks it looks pretty just the way it is. Mommy guilt starting…

I look at friends Facebook and Instagram posts and see their beautiful Christmas trees… all decorated and lovely for the holiday, and well, yes, I feel a slight twinge of guilt. How is it December 8th and ours is still not decorated. Oh a bit more guilt.

I actually thought this one out too, which is the total kicker. After rushing around the last two weeks of December last year cutting down a tree, decorating it and then having to take it down after 13 days, I thought this year, we will get it early! And the girls can enjoy it longer.

What was I thinking?! I know… I was thinking: when are the four of us going to have time to enjoy the wonder of cutting down a tree, the excitement of bringing it home and the magic of decorating it. When the girls were really little we would listen to carols, dance around the room, while they marveled at how pretty the ornaments were….

What was I thinking????? With work, evening meetings, and play rehearsals (7 is in Babes In Toyland at the NCT productions… fabulous, and yes tickets still on sale for today and next weekend www.NCTCArts.org – little plug there) finding the time to pull the Christmas bins out of the basement, decorate the house and tree has fallen slightly behind. But we are finding the magic this morning!

The good news is most of our holiday cards are in the mail. Ahhh let me feel good about that.

Can you EVEN imagine if I had one of those Elfs On The Shelf? Forget about it. The Elf can not come into this house. He would be one of those neglected Elves who stays on the mantle. Next to an undecorated tree.  (7 innocently asked last week after hearing about it again at school how come we don’t have one mommy? That conversation went something like this: Because we don’t. We don’t need a tattle tale in our house telling Santa what you are up to. He knows. Just like God knows. Conversation over.)

But THIS is the morning! We have two hours  before we need to leave for the show. The bins are up! The carols are coming. And the tree will be happy. I feel slightly bad that we are starting without my hubby and 10 but she is at piano lesson and really… this tree deserves it. Time for some magic…