We found a really nice Frasier fir at one of the local lots
"Elf of the Shelf" arrived this year. Riley named him Mitchell.
Micaela really wanted to help Daddy string up the lights
She was entranced
Her new routine: take an ornament off the tree, hop into the rocker and examine it.
"What do you mean I can't climb up the tree?"
She she climbed into a box instead
I wasn't thrilled with the icicles but Riley really loved putting them on the tree
The finished product
Its really hard to climb up tunnels with mittens
Riley finds the big coat and mittens to be very awkward; hope she gets used to them fast!
I love that you can see our tree in the window of our festive house
Artists hard at work
It definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And FEEL like Christmas, its cold! Luckily we had warm 50-degree weather on Saturday when we went out to get our tree. We didn't really know where to go so Chad looked up tree lots in the area and picked one. It was not what we expected, it was guys selling trees in their front yard, a far cry from the large lots that popped up in the populated Bay area. Chad asked a few questions and was happy to hear that they were from just up north so we picked a nice Fasier fir and took it home. Its a great tree that is still taking up a lot of water, we'll definitely go to the same place next year.
Decorating the tree was quite a process. Riley and I could only decorate when Micaela was napping because she was too destructive when ornaments were spread around. And we could only work during the day because we don't have any lights in the room where we've placed the tree. I had a lot of fun doing this project with Riley, its nice to have some time with just her. We didn't put very many ornaments on the lower branches and used very few breakable ornaments at all. For the first few days Micaela was constantly trying to climb the tree. I remember when Amy was little, the tree was in a playpen to keep her out. I was seriously considering this idea for a while. She (Micaela...not sure about Amy) has gotten a little better about climbing but I still spend a lot of time returning ornaments to the tree.
We had a few cold days this week but we're still getting outside to play. This is my first experience as a Mom who spends more time bundling and debundling the kids than actually playing outside. And it hasn't even snowed yet!
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Kevin put our 3 ft tree on a table so I couldn't reach to climb it;) Micaela must have inherited my curiosity gene...uh oh!
ReplyDelete1)50 degree is warm??? Let me know if you ever need bundling tips (you know I start bundling my child when it gets below 70 :D)
ReplyDelete2) M is only climbing cuz you put all the fun ornaments where she can't reach! Try getting some fun non-breakable ones (if they exist). Maybe make some out of LEGOs? IDK...we always have a hard time keeping the cat out of our fake tree.
3) Riley is touching Mitchell!!! We got a "girl" one, since it was on sale at Barnes and Noble online. Selina named it "Donner". Maybe she can tell that the elf is not really a girl, but instead a cross dresser (altho we didn't pay the extra $8 for the skirt). No matter, we will love her/him/it just the same :)
Amy, you have chosen a good husband who knows exactly how to deal with you!
ReplyDeleteMiriam, I think my kids still wear less than Selina! But yes, I'll probably need some bundling techniques, especially since Micaela refuses to wear anything on her feet. Almost all of the ornaments on the tree are non-breakable or we'd have no ornaments at all. And yes, we broke the no-touching-the-elf rule because I didn't know it was a rule until we read the book together. Oops! We haven't touched him since.
I just realized Chad had a head lamp on while putting the tree lights up....
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean she won't let you put anything on her feet? Buy footed pants. The crazy mom in me would probably put socks on first, then put footed pants on her. Or how about tights with fleece pants on top? Yesterday, Selina had on a tank top, then short sleeves shirt, then long sleeves turtleneck, then a sweater vest, and then I topped it all off with a jacket. Yep, I'm crazy, but even in the 40's the teachers still let the kids go outside, so I gotta do what I gotta do!!!
Chad had a headlamp on because he had to finish the lights in the dark and we don't have any lights in that room yet!
ReplyDeleteMicaela tears all shoes and socks off her feet. She wears footed pj's to bed but if she is wearing them during the day she tries to pull them off her feet and when they don't come off like socks or shoes she cries and cries. I guess she likes cold feet.
Why don't you just get Selina a warm jacket for outside? How can she move with all those layers?! At school here, the kids go outside as long as its 32 degrees. You would never survive :)
I do make Selina wear a warm jacket, right on top of her other 4 layers of clothes, lol! It is unlikely that I will ever visit you in the winter, ever. I barely want to go to up Tahoe/Reno as it is...
ReplyDelete