It is Done.

Thank Goodness!

Christmas 2011 is nothing more than a memory.  Well, if you can look past the strand of lights that never got hung but still sit on the homework counter in the kitchen.  Or the Snowman atop the cabinet in my bathroom.  Ooo. . .and there's a ceramic Christmas tree in my daughter's room (we need someone else to move the dresser so we can unplug it--that's out story).  Silver wreaths on the doors don't necessarily scream Christmas do they? 

OK, so apparently I still have a few jobs to do.

And unfortunately, the job we did last night in taking the ol' tree down was far from perfect.  I soooo love the leftover ornaments with no boxes or better yet, finding the boxes 30 minutes later for ornaments we already stuffed into some other box.  We said we'd fix that next year.  What do you suppose are the chances of that happening?

But for now, the monster, ahem, elephant, in the room is packed away and my living room can return to it's previous glory.  There is room again for the dog to sleep wherever she wants (except on my couch--while she might be a 125 lb Lab, yes, she has slept on my couch as though it was entirely proper).  There is room to play with Barbie and her camper.  And we can see the TV from any chair in the living room.  Always a bonus when you can eliminate that argument right off the bat on family movie night :-)

Auf Wiedersehen oh Tannenbaum!  (And let the blinds be open again!)

So there it is. Just standing there looking at me.

Not that any of you know what it's like.

How can you?

You don't know what it's like living like this.

Keeping the blinds shut so no one else can see.

Having to listen to the comments when my mother comes over.  (You'd think she'd know to just leave it alone. . I mean, she is probably here for a nice homecooked meal so why ruin it with the comments?)

It's not to the point of being completely mortifying yet.  But given that none of my friends are dealing with this one, well, it's kind of lonely.

My Christmas tree is still up.

There.  I said it.

And every time my mom comes into my house she says "Merry Christmas!  Oh.  I thought we were celebrating Christmas or something."

Sigh.

So she had her tree down weeks ago.  She had Dad help her.  And he did.  Willingly.

My husband?  Mostly he wishes he could "will" the tree job to someone else.  Like the kids.  (I know.  Every mother on earth knows that kids are better at putting a tree up than they are taking it down.  Sadly, fathers do not have the same knowledge.  Rose colored glass. . .or whatever.)

I have great hopes.  I hope he realizes that we're taking the tree down tonight.  I can't stand it any longer.  If I allow it to stay up any longer it becomes a Birthday Tree and I cannot start that kind of nonsense.

Can I?

Noooooooo!!!!  It's coming down.  Heading back to it's rightful spot under the basement steps until December rolls around again.

Now might be a good time to say a prayer to St. Jude for us on this one.