Let It Go....Let It Go

I'll be honest, I get a little "f it all" when things don't go as planned. Even though I did have those thoughts a couple times, I can't just "f it" when it comes to the holidays. Although Jack doesn't really get it just yet, I knew I would be sad if I didn't do those little things that make Christmas a holiday.

The first thing that shows up during the holiday season is the Christmas tree. For the first time my parents have no Christmas tree in the living room. This is what had happened. We knew we needed to wait for awhile because Jack would be obsessed with messing with it. So last Friday my dad brought out the tree for me to put together. It had been stored in a large tote with no lid inside the shed. Well I was snapping the pieces in when we noticed the lady bugs. More and more began flying around. Suddenly it was like a lady bug infestation. My dad panics and drags the whole tree through the house and chunks it into the yard. The lady bugs were everywhere. He said I could go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and buy a new one.

The next day he handed me $200 and said "bring back the change". Our small town does have a Wal-Mart (that closes at nine) and there isn't a lot of stock. Now granted there probably would have been more options if I weren't buying a tree 11 days before Christmas. My options were 1. a 3 foot prelit tree or 2. a 6 foot no lights tree. I threw the 6 foot tree in the buggy and bought some lights. I'm not much of a Christmas tree buying veteran but it shouldn't take a genius to figure out that when the tree costs $20 that it probably isn't that great of a tree and not the bargain you had hoped for. The tree was a hot mess. 6 foot? I'm not 6 feet tall and it was right there with me. Not only was it short but it was skinny and full of holes. My plan was to just make it work this year. Well Jack had other plans and would just knock the light tree straight over. He would even drag it across the floor and move it around which would unplug the lights and piss him off when it was pretty anymore. The sad little Charlie Brown tree has been moved to our bedroom so he can view it from his crib. It has no ornaments on it because Jack just pulls them off. I'm very sad that there is no big beautiful Christmas tree full of ornaments that we have pulled out year after year but I have to let it go.

 

Sweet Jack Jack after his bath enjoying touching all the lights.

 

Another tradition is building a gingerbread house. Since Jack and my nephew Bennett are obsessed with trains I thought a gingerbread train kit would be a better choice. I got everything all organized and then brought the boys in. Jack is still a little too young to really be helpful but Bennett is a great age for understanding and following directions. What was I thinking? Two boys, cookies, icing, and candy and not letting them put any of it in their mouths. Crazy idea! Here is what happened...

 

 

Yeah that was a no go but I will say the gingerbread tasted very good. Poor Bennett kept trying to decorate but he would have to take a bite or get a little taste of the candies. I finally, and literally, had to ask myself "What is more important, making a cute Instagram perfect gingerbread train or letting the boys enjoy themselves''? I had to let it go.

 

 

Have you had to "let it go" this holiday season?