Christmas is actually fun!
According to Sam, I am a little dorky when it comes to Christmas traditions. Since we have been together, I always insisted on going out to a tree farm to (have him) cut down our Christmas tree. It had to be a noble fir and be just the right size and shape. One year (or maybe a couple years) was very rainy, I took forever picking out the right tree, and after sawing it down we had to haul it uphill through the mud. He won't seem to let me live down my past years of obsessively picking out a tree. But he is a good sport. Somehow, I have become the Clark Griswold of the family, not him. But that is because I grew up with these traditions (including repeated viewings of "Christmas Vacation") and enjoy carrying them on. (It's not like I make him string popcorn and cranberries or anything!)
This year, I have really been looking forward to celebrating a Christmas at home with Morgan. Last year we went to Mexico and I was just trying to keep up with my new role of motherhood. This year Morgan is much more aware of everything, it is also our last year in this house, and I want it to be a special one. So, yesterday we went to a tree farm in nearby Pleasant Hill that I found online. It seems like in recent years, tree farms are a lot cooler than they used to be, and this one was no exception. They had cute, rustic buildings covered in greenery and lights. We took a tractor ride out to the fields of whichever variety of tree you were looking for. There were farm animals to look at and hot coffee for sale. It was quite a booming business and way more fun than the tree farms of my youth. But that is probably because it was SUNNY! That seemed to make all the difference in the world. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and it made us totally forget all the mud and drama of past Christmas tree outings.
Morgan had a great time too. She loved the tractors and was quite focused on the ride, taking everything in. She kept saying "vroom vroom" when she would see a tractor. There were lots of families with little kids to watch as well. Best of all, she loved exploring amongst the Christmas trees. The ground was a little muddy and very uneven, but Morgan insisted on walking by herself with some serious wobbling, then landing with a splat in the mud. I think she enjoyed getting her hands dirty, although she did lick her hand just like she did with the sand at the beach. Yuck!
We all had a great time as a family, and that is really what Christmas is all about. Now we get to pass on all our dorky traditions to Morgan, and hopefully not too much of the drama. On our way home from the tree farm yesterday, Sam said, "I actually had fun this year!" All I could do was smile.
According to Sam, I am a little dorky when it comes to Christmas traditions. Since we have been together, I always insisted on going out to a tree farm to (have him) cut down our Christmas tree. It had to be a noble fir and be just the right size and shape. One year (or maybe a couple years) was very rainy, I took forever picking out the right tree, and after sawing it down we had to haul it uphill through the mud. He won't seem to let me live down my past years of obsessively picking out a tree. But he is a good sport. Somehow, I have become the Clark Griswold of the family, not him. But that is because I grew up with these traditions (including repeated viewings of "Christmas Vacation") and enjoy carrying them on. (It's not like I make him string popcorn and cranberries or anything!)
This year, I have really been looking forward to celebrating a Christmas at home with Morgan. Last year we went to Mexico and I was just trying to keep up with my new role of motherhood. This year Morgan is much more aware of everything, it is also our last year in this house, and I want it to be a special one. So, yesterday we went to a tree farm in nearby Pleasant Hill that I found online. It seems like in recent years, tree farms are a lot cooler than they used to be, and this one was no exception. They had cute, rustic buildings covered in greenery and lights. We took a tractor ride out to the fields of whichever variety of tree you were looking for. There were farm animals to look at and hot coffee for sale. It was quite a booming business and way more fun than the tree farms of my youth. But that is probably because it was SUNNY! That seemed to make all the difference in the world. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and it made us totally forget all the mud and drama of past Christmas tree outings.
Morgan had a great time too. She loved the tractors and was quite focused on the ride, taking everything in. She kept saying "vroom vroom" when she would see a tractor. There were lots of families with little kids to watch as well. Best of all, she loved exploring amongst the Christmas trees. The ground was a little muddy and very uneven, but Morgan insisted on walking by herself with some serious wobbling, then landing with a splat in the mud. I think she enjoyed getting her hands dirty, although she did lick her hand just like she did with the sand at the beach. Yuck!
We all had a great time as a family, and that is really what Christmas is all about. Now we get to pass on all our dorky traditions to Morgan, and hopefully not too much of the drama. On our way home from the tree farm yesterday, Sam said, "I actually had fun this year!" All I could do was smile.
2 comments:
That's right-you get that guy Panzerized just like our girls got (or are getting!) theirs Heidingerized. These are very important traditions that she will remember. Cute pictures too!!
Heidingerized??? I haven't been able to pull Alex to a tree farm EVER. Mostly because of the LACK of tree farms in our locales. There is nothing like a oddly shaped fresh cut Christmas tree from Oregon. That's why my tree is now a fake. : ( Cutting down the tree is one of my favorite traditions. Oh well, I guess maybe I should look for a Christmas rodeo or something else to fill my time.
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