Friday, December 24, 2010
The Christmas Tree Fiasco 2010
I said I'd write about it, so I had better get it done before Christmas. I'm afraid that I've left you waiting too long, and now it won't be as interesting but here goes.
When I got home from my trip I was anxious to get a tree, since the Christmas season was half over. We had plans to go to a tree farm. There are several in the surrounding Winnipeg area and we were told that they were fun, with sleigh rides and hot chocolate and big bonfires. So I got me and the kids bundled up and ready go. Just as we were leaving Kyle decided to give a couple of the farms a call and much to our dismay, they were all sold out of trees. Who ever heard of such a thing? So, we decided we'd go check out some of the mall parking lots because we had noticed that they were selling trees too. The first one we went to they guy told us the trees under six feet were $35 and the ones bigger ranged from $40-60 depending on how nice they were. I was surprised and I said to Kyle "let's go go some where else. That's too expensive.
Little did I know.
We went to Superstore, thinking we'd just get one from there. My dreams of having a fabulous tree were already deflated somewhat, since I'm used to the fun of going out to a tree farm and paying $25 for the tree of my choice, so I was kind of like "whatever, we'll get a cheaper tree from Superstore." But the trees at Superstore were $40!!! I couldn't believe it! $40 for some tree that was wrapped up and you didn't even know what it looked like?? So we decided to go to another parking lot stand that we knew of. By this time the kids were getting tired of being thrown in and out of the car and trudging through stores. We told them we were getting a tree and they wanted a tree.
At the next lot the prices ranged from $50-60, surprise surprise. We were defeated. Some of the trees were cheaper because of bare spots and things, so we got our tree for $45. Personally I would have gone back to the first place and got a 35 dollar one that was under six ft. I don't need a tall tree. But Kyle was done with me and my tree issues, so we got that one and came home.
We had a HARD time getting it to stand up straight in our tree stand. We thought we got it in good at one point. Then when Sloan was in bed, I got out the lights to put them on. Out of four strings of lights none of them worked!!!! I have no idea why they would all stop working at once. We had already looked around for some lights when we were out and most places were almost sold out and the ones they did have were the really expensive kind. I didn't need the expensive ones! I just wanted some regular lights. Too much to ask?
Kyle bought some lights on his way home from school. I had my achievement activity that night. Kyle had young mens. On the way home Adriel was asking and had been asking all day if we could decorate the tree. I usually do that by myself, but I knew i wouldn't get away with it this year. So I suggested that we put Sloan to bed and I'd let him stay up a little later than usual and we'd have a special time just the two of us, decorating the tree.
But first I had to get the lights on. While I was putting the lights on, the tree started to fall. I tried to fix it and couldn't. All Adriel wanted to do was put his sparkly train decoration on and he was really bugging me about it the whole time. So I let him put the train on and then I put him to bed.
Then the tree and I really got into it. I got down and I tried shoving the screw things hard into the tree while holding the tree up with one arm (which is ideally a two person job) I was struggling and sweating and to no avail. The whole thing just fell over. The water from watering it was all over the floor, there were needles everywhere and I acknowledged that I couldn't do it by myself. Sometimes I wonder how people survive without a man in their house. If I was a single mom, the tree would have never gone up. So I called Kyle and in panic mode asked when he was going to be home. He came home and stuggled with it for a while and we decided that it's just a lop-sided tree and it was throwing our tree stand off balance. So Kyle went outside and dug through the snow to find a heavy rock, brought it back in and covered it in a plastic bag and thunked it on the back side of our tree stand. It worked but the tree is still lopsided and tilted and it bugs me.
I felt like a Christmas loser.
6 comments
Sarahstottle posted @ 7:08 AM