Decorating the Tree

Every year for the past 11 years, we have gotten our x-mas tree from the same place. It's a family tradition. Several years ago when I was pregnant with Madison, she kicked me when we were looking at a certain tree. So that was the one we brought home that year. She chose it for us. We all loaded up in the car after church on Sat. and went to find our tree. Like every year it was frigid outside. Everyone was bundled up. The girls all insisted on wearing their Santa hats. They looked adorable! We ended up choosing the first one we looked at. Partially because it was a beautiful tree and partially because we were freezing. The next evening I had high expecations for decorating our tree all together as a family. It was going to be a wonderful time together. In actuality, Mallory broke 3 ornaments, Madison had a melt down because she had made one of the broken ornaments, they all fought over the ornments, they were up past their bed time and I was ready for a stiff drink! When it was all said and done, everyone sat in the living room together happily and enjoyed our beautiful tree. This time the finished product was more important than the process of getting there:) You really have to give up some control and let the kids take the reins during times like decorating the tree. It's not an easy thing to do when you're a control freak! I can remember back to when I was a kid and we were decorating the tree. My dad would always get frustrated with me because I put the tinsel on wrong. Every year it was the same thing. "Amy you lay the tinsel on, you don't throw it!" I still have flash backs. It was a very tramatic experience for me. Just kidding! You can see who I get my perfectionist side from though. I remember decorating the tree my senior year of high school. It was the most fun we had had in a long time. We played x-mas music and danced around the living room. I think we all cherished that time because we knew it would be my last x-mas living at home. These little Scott girls will be there before I know it. So for now, they can throw the tinsel on the tree. I'll just wait until they go to bed and fix it then:)