We're Setting the Tree Up
Greetings to everyone.
Xavier has reached the age where setting up Christmas decorations and a tree excite him. This will be a fun Christmas we think as we enjoy Xavier's enthusiasm.
We mentioned setting up the Christmas tree early on Sunday. Xavier asked many questions, drilling down as he learned more. He wanted to know where the tree was stored. Then he wanted to understand how it fit under the stairs. Then he wanted to go see it.
Being the enterprising parents that we are, we used his curiosity and drive to set up the tree to get him to eat his supper. Wow! Xavier can pack it away in record time when he has a goal at the other end of eating.
After finishing dinner and clearing the table, Xavier helped Dad pull out the Christmas boxes from under the stairs. He helped enthusiastically, and was very excited until the way to under the stairs was opened.
Suddenly, an imaginary (at least I think imaginary as I saw no evidence of it) spider backed Xavier out into the utility room.
OK, so no help pulling out boxes, but definitely exuberant help for carrying them upstairs. Of course, that soon met with disappointment. Dad lugged up the heavy box with the tree in it and opened it. Xavier saw inside and wanted to get it out immediately, but Mom wanted to vacuum the room first. Also, we needed to rearrange the furniture to accommodate the tree. To Xavier, these were more delays!
Eventually, we had the tree up and Mom was debugging the burned out lights. Xavier, ever the helpful Christmas Elf, pointed out every dark light bulb (which were many) and impatiently waited for Mom to fix them (most of which she could not).
Then Dad brought up the boxes of ornaments. Xavier had a blast putting hooks on the ornaments and hanging them on the tree. We do have several branches that Xavier has tasked with supporting half a dozen or more ornaments in tight clusters.
Tonight, we decorated the mantel and hearth. Xavier could not wait to plug in the lights. He dragged a string of lights into another room and plugged them in (Mom and Dad were too slow in getting the garland up around the fireplace it seems).
Now, when Xavier gets up, the first thing he does is plug in the tree, the lights he dragged into another room and the lights on the mantel.