There is no other title for this one than "Life with Boys".

So, I got the Christmas Tree up yesterday. I don't know what took me so long this year. Usually I am right on it the week after Thanksgiving. Maybe just a busy week this year or exhaustion due to the busyness leading to an apathetic attitude toward the work that goes into decorating for the Christmas. We got a new artificial tree last year after Christmas, so I should have been excited about putting up a tree that was not only pre-lit, but also not leaning in one direction or the other. Our last tree was beautiful, but the "stem" and stand had both seen better days. It was quite tilt-y -- and as soon as you thought you had it all straightened with little blocks of wood, duct tape, and some twist ties, someone would breathe on it wrong (actually the the kids touching it or the cat climbing it were more of the problems) and it would tilt the other way.

I must say, though, that in all the years we had that tree, I can only remember it being actually knocked over to the point of lying on the floor twice. And, once was actually my fault. We had it kind of wedged into a spot between a couch and the piano bench and I got up from the piano bench and knocked the whole thing over with my butt.

Now, getting to the "Life with Boys" part of this post ......... I got the tree up yesterday, but not decorated. The tubs of decorations are still in the barn, and I was lazy yesterday with no desire to drive back there and dig them out. Maybe today. :) So, Cole is pretty excited that the tree is up, but he is leaving it alone. He is actually more concerned and fascinated with the HUGE sheets of bubble wrap that were around the pieces of the new tree. The other boys came home from school and were excited that the tree was finally up, too. Clayton went to start his homework and Curtis, Cole, and I began to pick up the stuff that needed to come out of the living room since the Christmas tree took over -- Lego's are banned until after Christmas, books needed to be picked up and a few other things moved around. We got that done and I went to start the sloppy joes for supper. I hear much giggling and "rough" noises from the front room. This is not out of the norm here, but with the new Christmas tree up, I felt compelled to check on the level of wrestling that was going on in there. I walked around the corner into the living room and there were 2 little boys lying on their backs UNDER the tree! Like they were fixing a car or something -- WEIRD! I reacted similarly to the cartoon from my post yesterday -- "What are you doing?!" I must've frightened them just enough to cause them to SIT UP under the tree!! I couldn't get to the top of the tree fast enough to catch it and return it to the upright position, but I did make it! WHEW! It only tipped a little but and we put it back quickly. I "very calmly" reprimanded them with a "Stay out from underneath the tree!" and went back to the beef browning on the stove. More crazed giggling from the living room requires that mom return and reinforce the fact that children should not be under the Christmas tree. While they are gifts from God, they do no belong under the tree. Dad got involved at this point and put a piece of tape diagonally on the carpet in front of the tree (which is in a corner -- can you picture the whole scene?). No one may cross the tape and get close to the tree at all now. It's a very nice look for the living room, let me tell you!

Here's my "life with boys" thoughts/questions about this whole thing: Why, WHY are they under there? Neither of these boys is that young -- one is 4 and the other with be 7 in a few days! They have seen Christmas trees for years!! I used to put a baby gate/play yard thing up around the tree when the boys were really little -- but that was when we had toddlers around here. Maybe they are fascinated with the pre-lit part of this new tree? Are they checking out all the cords? Or are they lying under there with their eyes crossed making all the lights kinda blurry and psychedelic? Is it because there are no ornaments, ribbons, or garland on the tree yet and they can almost look all the way up the center of the tree to the top by lying under it? WHO KNOWS??

So again, I say, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING under there?? Seeing that they are boys, I guess I should not analyze it any more and give up on trying to figure out what is going on in their little brains. I probably should be thankful that they did not knock the tree over completely (yet). Yesterday afternoon could have been much more dramatic than it was. If I ever figure these guys out, I'll publish the secret. For now, I guess I blame that Y chromosome, that those of us without one just can't seem to figure out, for all the "weirdness" in my home! :)