Originally Posted by eluf38:
“My sister has a themed tree and a 'kids tree' which she keeps upstairs and covers in the kids' decorations. The kids are not allowed to decorate the 'grown up' tree downstairs. I find this very sad.
Our tree has two ropes of coloured lights. No tinsel because I go OTT with baubles, in all the colours of the rainbow (and even a few black glittery ones). We have four 'baby's first Christmas' ones from my sister in law, as well as a crystal rocking horse mum bought when I was little, and a few my daughter made at nursery. I also found somewhere that sold 'Nadolig Llawen' baubles. I have some that were my Nan's. They are too fragile to hang on the tree, but I can't throw them away. They are retired from tree duties.
Little one is still too young to help with decorating the tree. She put one bauble on the bottom branch, but is mainly concerned with 'picking papples', so most of the lower branches are now empty.”
Picking papples made me smile.
We have a similar set up as your sister but it's not as awful as it sounds - the kids aren't banished or deprived. I love putting up the tree, they don't. They mess about like hallions rummaging in the boxes, put one or two things up, fight over whose personalised baby's first bauble gets prime spot and then they get bored and take off leaving me to it. Suits everyone.
They get the most fun rearranging my N O E L decorative letters to wind me up and then time it to see how long before I have to change it. I try to act like I'm absolutely fine with it but I hate bloody LEON. NO3L was worse.
I'd love to know where you get those kids who help you put the tree up and make you misty eyed as you reminisce about the decorations they've made but I've got two who would rather nick the tinsel and raid the fridge with their mates and throw me odd supportive comment, "Doing a good job there, Ma".