Charlie’s gradual discovery of the world outside his co-sleeper is making this holiday season especially fun. We moved into our little Philadelphia row house almost six years ago, but we never got a Christmas tree. There were a lot of reasons why – space restrictions, our busy holiday travel schedule to see relatives, a general lack of interest in decorating a house in a city that has never really felt like home. But not having a Christmas tree was especially tough for me. Christmas trees are in my blood! Until I was in high school, my family owned a Christmas tree farm. I loved being out in the woods with our customers, helping them find the perfect tree, and watching as they were loaded into their cars and taken off to homes to be decorated. I got a kick out of “visiting” the trees that were purchased by my friends’ families. And our tree was always a big beautiful specimen from the farm, decorated with ornaments from three generations of my family, including handmade items from my grandmother, my mother, and me and my brother. Working on the farm and decorating our tree was time well-spent with my family.
This year, we decided we would do whatever it took to make room for a tree. It was for Charlie’s sake, of course. (Wink wink.) I realized we missed out on five years worth of advances in Christmas tree decoration technology. No-tip tree stands…LED Christmas lights…I’m in heaven! We found a small space to fit a tree and found the skinniest, but tallest, tree we could find that would fit. And I must say, she’s quite a beauty:
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The first annual T Family
Christmas Tree – before.
The tree has now been up for a few days and is fully decorated with a mix of old and new ornaments. Each morning, I bring Charlie downstairs, turn on the tree lights, put him in his bouncy chair, and he drinks his morning bottle while checking out his tree. Each night I’ve carried him over to the tree and talked about a different ornament, telling him stories from when I was a kid. I’ve lamented here before about the fact that his Nana (my mother) died when I was a teenager, so this has been a great way to keep her spirit alive at a time of year when I miss her the most. Having the tree has also made me put more effort into decorating other areas of the house for Christmas. We now have LED candles in the windows, a pine swag hanging on the front door, and a few other decorations to make the first floor of the house much more festive. And to top it all off, my dad and my brother and I have been in talks about starting up the Christmas Tree farm again. It’s as if our collective Christmas spirit was hibernating and Charlie awakened it.
And that’s a very good thing, indeed.
The first annual T Family Christmas Tree
in all of
its “after” glory.
Shannon Kelly
December 14, 2011Beautiful!
Kate
December 14, 2011First, I love your tree. It’s perfect.
Kids really do bring a whole new meaning to the holidays. They make the celebration and tradition seem that much more important. It’s so neat that your family is enjoying the season with Charlie.
Molly
December 15, 2011Good for you! We also live in Philly, but decided not to get a tree this year. It’s kinda sad, but I don’t know where we’d find the time to decorate it (not to mention we will be away for a good chunk of the holidays). I barely got a wreath on the door before guests came over last night. I’m not sure our four-month-old would fully appreciate a tree though I bet he’d like the twinkle lights!
Thanks, Molly! I love your blog! And it looks like you also have a nursery that has lots of yellow and gray, so I know you have great taste.
I’m now a subscriber on Google Reader.
nj mch
December 15, 2011I remember picking out our tree at your tree farm every year. One year, our tree had a birds’ nest in it, which is a sign of good luck. Those memories are so vivid in my mind. Here’s hoping you start the farm up again. David and I and the boys will be your first customers!
Here’s wishing you all a very merry Christmas. Especially to Charlie!
Cindi F.
December 16, 2011Your tree is beautiful. My family went to the Christmas Tree Farm this year to pick our tree and it was a wonderful experience. Don’t think I will ever buy a tree from a parking lot again. It is nice to hear some people actually still hang up all the homemade family ornaments. I have always had a very traditional tree not the yearly themed ones many do these days. Thank you for sharing