Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We finally got our act together and bought a tree. Miraculously, we managed to decorate it the same day. Not our usual classic and tasteful clear-glass-ornaments-only tree. Oh no no no. This year, it's gawdy and pimped out, triplet toddler style.

The kids love it, it's hokey, and that's what it's all about.

We even bought new colored LED lights and they are like voodoo magic. Our kids have never watched any television so anything that lights up is pretty novel to them. Ada said, "Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" when she first saw the tree all lit up. Too funny. Julia and Emma stare at it, smile excitedly, and keep pointing to it all day long. They're mesmerized.

We have some unbreakable ornaments on the tree, but mostly just the lights. When they first saw the undecorated tree, they were stunned. If I could interpret their facial expressions, it was something akin to being freaked out that a tree had the audacity to "walk" into their home and "park" itself in the corner while they were napping.

We held the girls in our arms as they woke up, a few feet from the tree at first, because they seemed really startled by the whole thing. As in:
"What the heck? Why is there a huge tree in the house?"
"Look, mommy, a T-R-E-E! A TREE!"
"Mommy, Daddy, A TREEEEEEE. WTH?"

Of course they can't speak in sentences yet, but that's definitely along the lines of what they were thinking.

It was amusing, but being the fabulous parents we aspire to be, we didn't want to traumatize our children or foster negative associations with living things. So we eased them into seeing the tree, talking about the tree, touching the tree, touching the ornaments on the tree, and eventually, switching on the lights. Then all was finally right with the world.

Now seeing the tree is their favorite part of waking up. Ah, Christmas is finally here and it is good.