Taking Down Christmas

As much as we hated to take away Charlotte's holiday digs...


Christmas had to come down. I usually like to take it down the weekend after Christmas...or at least by New Year's Day. But this year, I just couldn't find the motivation to save my life. So, I decided to be an honorary Catholic and observe the Epiphany. I think it's a great reason to keep the decorations up until after the 6th. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

I decided to take all the ornaments off of the tree and spread them all over my dining room table. This would mean I'd have to put them away, right? We have to eat, after all (and we're NOT doing it on my couches!). Well, although it did get me started, it still took me several days to get them totally boxed up. We simply ate with ornaments in the middle of the table, like one elaborate but tacky, holiday centerpiece.

I've mentioned before that I have a bit of an ornament fetish. A matchy holiday tree doesn't sound like my idea of a good time (although I do admire the beauty of others' matchy trees). My Christmas tree represents a life fully lived. I try to get an ornament from every vacation stop we make. I have them for first Christmases, events and special occasions (although I don't do an ornament per kid per year like some do...too much pressure. I just get one if I see something that celebrates an accomplishment or interest and it all comes out in the wash). I LOVE ornaments my kids have made. I still have some made from dough, cinnamon, paper, pipecleaners, you name it that have been around for over a decade. And if a school/church teacher has my child make an ornament which includes his/her picture? I'll love them forever. They are the best. And ornaments as gifts? I can't think of anything better. I swear to you I remember the giver of each and every Christmas ornament gift and I think of them fondly, each year as I hang their ornament.

My favorite gift to give to newlyweds is an "Our First Christmas Together" ornament. Hallmark's ornaments come out every June (I know, I've checked) so if you get married the second half of the year, you're getting one. (Who am I kidding? Even if you get married in January, you're getting one...because I NEVER get gifts out on time, anyway!) I like them so much because they are my favorite ornaments to put up each year. Those, and these:


'92, '94, '97 and '98...all VERY good years!

While I am happily minimizing in other areas of my life and I'm loving not having so much flotsam and furniture...I don't plan on parting with any of my ornaments, if I can help it. I love the memories they represent.

Something else I've collected through the years (since they started making them in 1996) are dated, military ornaments made my American Greetings/Carlton Cards, sold through the military exchanges. I get at least one each year, and try to get one having to do with whoever we are serving with at the time (Navy or Marines, ship or aircraft, etc.) if possible.


I grouped them all together, and realized, I was missing three of the years. I tried to think of how that could be...and one was the year we were totally broke, right after Cliff had finished grad school and was trying to get picked up by the Navy Chaplaincy, while we were living on enlisted, Marine Reserve pay. Lean times, for sure. An ornament would not have been on the list.

[Trivia: This was also (not coincidentally) the year we decided to blow the lid off of the whole Santa thing. While our choice had spiritual benefits for sure, in our case it had more to do with not wanting our kids to have any doubts about how good and wonderful they were, even with very little under the tree...while the thieving brats down the street got the latest in video game entertainment and custom skateboards. I have never regretted my decision, although I do not blame any who perpetuate the Santa fantasy. It's a great fantasy, when your parents can afford it. Otherwise, it sounds like a pretty crappy thing to burden kids with...especially as expectations continue to rise of what a "good list" gift from Santa should look like. For those who have not been in this position, it might be hard to understand my reasoning...but it does give one pause to wonder about how the good and worthy children of America feel, who are all too aware of "Santa" but fall short of his good grace due to their economic situation. It's not the giving of lavish gifts I take issue with, heaven knows we've had some pretty expensive Christmases, and I realize ours are way more lavish now than they were when our kids were young. The problem I have is tying the giving of those gifts to how "good" a child is. Again, it works great when you have no worries...but when you end up in a situation like we did in 1999, when at least two of our kids were young enough to "believe" but also old enough to see the disparity in the neighborhood, it's hard to rationalize. Why don't we either say, "Santa brings toys to children according to IRS reporting data, regardless of their goodness" or just admit that parents are behind it all? It would be so much easier to explain. Still, my children will have to decide for their own families and I will support them in whatever they decide.]

The other two missing, were from years we went to Utah for Christmas, and so it was just something I had obviously overlooked before we left town. But...thanks to Ebay, my collection is now complete, and I didn't even have to pay more than they were originally. cha-CHING. Can't wait until they get here in the mail.





What about you...do you prefer matchy or hodge-podge in the tree department...or do you even get into ornaments at all? Is it just me?