Un-Decorating

     As soon as my turkey is finished I can't wait to decorate the house for Christmas. We have a ton of stuff. I know some people see it as work every year but I love it. I like pulling out some things I've had since I was a kid that I can now decorate my own house with. We have tons of things the kids have made from school.  Jacob is adding to the collection now. I have a stocking I made from first grade. This year I hung it and all the other stockings the kids have made over the years in one spot on my china closet. I was so excited when Jake brought one home from school to add to the collection. My husband is the only one who doesn't have a stocking. I figure the beginning of December next year I'll have the kids help him make one.
    With Facebook now you can find out more of what people do. This year I was surprised by how many people posted about taking down the tree and putting all their stuff away just a day or two after Christmas. I would never. Part of the fun of Christmas is leaving the tree up to enjoy with the toys underneath and the aftermath of destrcution from the kids. I could just sit there in the evening with it lit and relax looking at it. Although I probably did that more mornings than evenings as I'm the early riser. It's still one of the best parts of the holidays. The quiet of the evening(or morning) and the lights of the tree.
     This school vacation when everyone else was home with me was great. Maybe the nice snow storm helped but we stayed in and vegged together quite a lot. I enjoyed that very much. But as with back to school reality comes un-decorating reality. I start slow. I always do. It's definitely not as much fun cleaning it up and putting it all away as it is taking it out. First is usually all the paper decorations from the windows and the rest of the house. It becomes much lighter inside as much more light can get through the windows. But as more and more things come down off the walls and everywhere else the house just feels empty. Of course it is not. It's just there's so much more up and around in my house during the month of December. It takes a little getting used to again after it all being up for a month.
     It's probably good I'm always broke after Christmas or I'd have a lot more decorations. I could go out and buy on clearance every year. I've gotten better with throwing away the old wrecked up stuff. I never used to throw anything away. Now I realize there's no point in keeping it no matter how attatched I am. There's always plenty more stuff to get or that is given to me to decorate with. I may have to go visit my dad to make sure he doesn't still have this little tree we used to have. Jake really wanted his own tree in his room. Couldn't get him one, and as I've been taking things down he's holding onto ornaments and decorating the dogs cage and other things with them. I have to wait until he goes to school to take them back and put them away. So maybe next year he'll have a little tree all his own to decorate.
     Right now I have a naked tree in my living room. I let Jake turn it on for the last time this morning. When I told him it may be the last time all he said was, "awwww." I un-decorated it while he was gone and now just have to take it down. I'll get there later I don't think I could wait until tomorrow. It's too sad looking at it this way. I always say I'd like to have a real tree because I've never had one. With a real tree though there's no way I could have it up as long as I like to. Yet I keep hearing how great they are and how you can't beat the smell. Maybe I'll just get a wreath or something instead. Or a scented candle like my girlfriends uses instead. One of these days. Maybe when I don't have the kids around to help me do to all the decorating I won't be as excited about it. Only time will tell. But for now I've still got plenty more to take down and put in the attic for another 10-11 months. Sounds long but it always gets here quick.