O Christmas Tree

*sigh* I'm such a delinquent with this whole blogging thing. I can tell you it's not for lack of inspiration - it's just that I'm so BUSY being inspired all the time, I could spend half a day every day telling you what's inspired me today! Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but really life is pretty good right now.

Today, I'll tell you about my change of heart. When I moved into this house 2 and a half years ago and was looking forward to my first Christmas here, I was very excited to realize that I finally have room for my very own Christmas tree! (Those of you who know me well will recognize how excited my inner control-freak got about that idea!)

I chose a pre-lit one because everyone knows that stringing the lights on that puppy is the most gruelling part next to lugging it out of the basement. Then I went out and bought "matchy-matchy" decorations - all in burgundy and gold. So pretty. So perfect. So *not* the homemade (or school-made) decorations and mismatched lights we alwyas had on the tree at home. And I have thoroughly enjoyed my tree.

This year, for the second time, I had my Little Sister over to help me decorate it, and once again, I was surprised at how quickly we were done. That's kind of chapter one of this story - the realization that I really missed having someone to decorate with on that first Christmas here. I don't often feel lonely, but I was close that night. Anyway, once again, the tree is up and I've been enjoying its prettiness thoroughly.

Then today at work, our Christmas tree got pulled out of storage, already pre-decorated. It also has matchy-matchy decorations, but since it's been pulled in and out of storage several times with the decorations on, it's beginning to look a little sad. So the kids in the daycare started making simple decorations for it: photocopied Christmas images coloured, cut out and tied to a piece of ribbon. They were so excited about hanging their decorations that I asked a couple of the girls if they would like to make some for me too. They re-appeared about half an hour later with 3 decorations for my tree, and presented them to me (shyly beaming with pride), and showing me how their names were written on the back so I'd remember who made them.

And there they are, in all their glory, hanging from my matchy-matchy tree. Guess it's not so matchy-matchy any more. And you know what? I like it that way!