A Non-Traditional Tradition Day

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is our traditional day to put up the holiday decorations and the tree, etc. We even got the decorations up from the basement on Friday night so we were prepared. As we figured out last year, decorating with a Todd-lor is a bit more time consuming...so I planned that the whole day would be spent doing a little bit here and a little bit there.

BUT. I did not plan that on Friday night I would have what looked like an insect/spider bite...that would turn out to maybe/possibly be cellulitus (which I had when I was pregnant with Willow). So.

Saturday morning, I got up and we could tell the red welt was spreading...at first I just tried to call into the Dr.'s office to just get a prescription for an antibiotic...so I kept things going by starting the Christmas music and getting out the Hannukah decorations (yeah, we go like that...you try finding some jumping Hannukah songs--other than Driedel, Driedel, Driedel).

Alas, they would not give me an antibiotic without seeing me...I actually cried a little cuz I really was getting a kick at watching the kids go through all the stuff...

Hubs kept the kids busy while I was gone, tho...Willow asked him to read EVERY SINGLE holiday book we have (we have a TON of Hannukah and Christmas books).

After coming back armed with my antibiotics AND being told that most of the time I was to keep my leg elevated (and definitely not stand around and decorate!)...we put the tree up FINALLY.

And I watched as the traditions were non-traditionally accomplished---my son (not me) and my husband put the lights on the tree. My son and husband positioned the lights and got the Santa Hat topper on the tree. They put on the music...I sat on the couch, leg propped up.

Luckily, the doctor did say I could walk around (a bit)...so I did help, like everyone else, in putting the ornaments on the tree....which was also a bit non-traditional, cuz I decided to save myself headaches this year and not put any (well, hardly any) glass ornaments on. And not put most of the ornaments on the lowest branches so that Kif will bat at them. (Although as I write this, the cats seem to have found ways...I need to buy a spray bottle...really, I do)

So, finally, our traditional (non-traditional) tree is up...the lights are kinda crooked looking and there are bare spots where lights should be...there are tons of ornaments on the top of the tree, barely any on the bottom...hardly any rounded glass ornaments...Willow tried very hard to put multiple ornaments on the same branch, one after another after another...but, its our tree!

I had originally thought that we would celebrate by going to the Festival on the Commons, but our timing was off (and we had plans to see a movie at Chunky's)...so, another non-traditional start to the holiday season---but wait, dad took them, while mom stayed on the couch...wishing she could see Willow's eyes light up.

P.S. On the drive back from the movie, 9:30 at night, we pull over at the Commons. And I get out and do a short walk in the very cold night air with my two children, who show me the decorations....yeah, I did get to see her light up.

If you are interested in seeing other 30 posts in 30 days writers, please stop on by NaBloPoMo, or stop on by Suzy's place.