Christmas Tree Tradition

A dear friend quietly, through e-mail, brought it to my attention that I came across a bit selfish, self-centered and sounded down right greedy in my last post (The Ghost Of Christmas Shopping Seasons Past). Lucky for her she is a good friend! Anyhow, that was just one of many thoughts and posts I have at my fingertips about Christmas. So, dear friend, shut your pie hole and buy me something nice!

I haven't started my Christmas shopping. I've made a couple of lists of whos and whats, and my kids have given me their lists, which is a start. If I'm lucky, I'll get at least half of my shopping done before the eve of the Eve.

It's not so much that I am a Scrooge or a procrastinator, but the feeling of Christmas for me only sinks in after I get a tree, which hasn't happened yet either.

This Saturday the Lane family will take a sleigh ride into a tree farm forest, and chop down our very own Christmas tree. Next, grown people, dressed as elves, will stick the tree into a shaker machine, you know, to make sure it doesn't turn into a Mickey Mouse, Chip N Dale cartoon at the Lane estate.

From there, Santa will have a little talk with the eldest Lane child about his grades. And hopefully Santa will discuss with him how the naughty list works and how tormenting his sister, resulting in her screaming, to the point of making his mother's eardrums bleed, is the fastest way to get on said list. Santa also will speak with my lovely young daughter about screaming, and tell her how kids who scream get reindeer poop in their stockings. Smile for the camera kids! An overpriced Polaroid of my kids and Santa is just another tradition to getting our tree.

As the photo develops we will mosey on over to the gift shop, where I will look at all of the crafts and holiday doodads and say, "I could make that!" Next stop, hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, which we will sip while sitting near the wood burning stove, while listening to Christmas music playing over the loud speakers.

With our tongues scalded and our hot chocolate gone, we will head over to the main gate. Another grown up, typically a grumpy elf, will measure our tree and give us our grand total. With tree, tree care instructions, receipt and twine in hand, we will strap it to our vehicle and head back home. And the feeling of Christmas will begin to sink in. And chances are a smile will cross my face as I think, "I wonder how many presents I'm gonna get!"