Christmas Tree

We set up and decorated our Christmas tree last weekend. I like to put up our tree and all of our Christmas decorations on December first, but it's just been such a busy couple of months that we were a few days late.

Brian and I decided to acquire a full sized tree this year, instead of using our miniature 3 foot tree that we bought while Brian was still going to school. We figured Connor would tackle the little one and tip it over since it's about his size, and we didn't have a good spot where we could put it up out of his reach. We've been wanting to get a bigger tree for a few years now anyway, so we went for it this year.

We got an artificial pre-lit tree so we wouldn't have to deal with stringing lights anymore. Brian prefers clear lights and I like multi-colored lights so we got a tree that will switch between the two options. We set it up last Sunday, and it was so easy to put together. We love it.

Since our apartment is quite small, and we have a lot of stuff that requires rearranging to make a space for a Christmas tree, it was quite the endeavor. Setting up the tree was the easy part. Moving things around and reorganizing/adding to our storage space took a good chunk of the day Saturday, so we didn't actually decorate the tree until Sunday evening.

We put on some Christmas music and opened up our boxes of decorations and went at it. We have such a fun time each year unwrapping the ornaments we've collected during our travels and time in NYC. It always brings back a flood of memories. 

Connor was into everything of course, which made the process three times as long...but it was also more fun. We placed the ornaments at what we though was a sufficient height on the tree, but had to keep moving them higher as Connor managed to reach the lowest ones. I swear this kid grows another inch everyday! It's surprises us the things he can reach these days. We've learned not to place things to close to the edge on our table because he'll pull them right off.

We let Connor hold some of the non-breakable ornaments, like this metal apple-shaped bell. He loved shaking it to make it ring. We couldn't get him to give it back. Haha! It was good though, because he was busy playing with that while we hung some of the more fragile ornaments.

          

After watching us hang a few ornaments on the tree, Connor wanted to get in on the action to. He kept trying to hang things on the tree. He was't successful of course so we helped him. His efforts were adorable though and we had fun watching him try.

This is what our tree looked like when we finished decorating it Sunday night. We left a few non-fragile ornaments on the lower branches so that Connor could look at and play with.

We finished off our decorating party by hanging our stockings and putting up a few of our other decorations, including a nativity. I've been looking for a stocking for Connor that will match Brian and I's, but haven't been successful yet, so this year he gets a simple, plain one. I feel bad I haven't even put his name on it. 

Connor was curious about the tree, especially once we turned the lights on. He timidly touched the branches and poked at the lights, but for the most part left it alone Saturday night. Once we had the tree decorated though, it was a very different story. He is obsessed with it and is constantly pulling things off of the branches. We left a few non-fragile ornaments on the lower branches so that he would have something to look at and play with. That first week, I would find a little trail of ornaments on the floor leading away from the tree at least once a day. 

After two or three days, he was no longer content with the ornaments we'd left within his reach. We constantly found him, often on his tip toes, straining to reach the higher hanging objects. Connor did manage to reach some of them, so our ornaments have slowly migrated even higher on the tree. Haha!

I love how putting up a Christmas tree instantly makes a home more inviting and gives it a special spirit. I love decorating for Christmas. Last December was a bit of a whirlwind what with having a newborn, so we're very excited to celebrate this year...and introduce and start traditions with our one year old. Now we just need some snow to make it really feel like Christmas!