Oh Christmas Tree!

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 16, 2008 at 11:05 AM

At my house, you probably already have guessed that something as mundane as the family holliday Christmas tree can quickly become a huge problem. Well, our tree went up Thanksgiving evening, after the family went home. We rearranged the furniture, and moved the antique plantation table over to the train-table corner and moved that train table to the spot left vacant by that table. Yep, we actually decided that the antique steamer trunk used last year just would not be high enough to keep everything and everyone safe, so we opted for something a bit higher. So, the tree is somewhere around eleven feet tall once you factor into account the table that it sits upon. While the tree was falling out and fluffing, we left it open for exploration. The boys seemed to remember that it spins, so they decided to help it along by grabbing branches and walking around the table with it in an attempt at a manual spin. This only served to bend a few of the bottom branches, no permanent damage was done, but we did have an idea of just how high the kids could reach now! So, once we started putting the ornaments on the tree, that octagon shaped bendy rugrat playpen came out of retirement and went around that table (yes we put the leaves out on it even) and I tied it off to the piano leg. As an after thought, I moved the piano bench on the inside of the baby gate to keep it in place in the corner and hopefully keep the kids from going back around the side of the tree, which would give them access to the coveted baubles and ornaments. This also would prevent, in theory, Kaiden, from climbing up on the back of the piano and decided to swan-dive into the middle of the tree...in theory that is... So fast forward a week or two, and the ornaments are fully up and on the tree. Yes a ladder had to be used to reach the uppermost...heck even the middlemost branches for decorating. Now, the babies had been pretty good up until that point. That isn't to say that they didn't toss a few Christmas tree offerings into the playpen in an attempt to knock off some of the ornaments. I have found everything from the big yoga ball, down to sippy cups, plates and diapers tossed in there with it! Then, yesterday, the babies had decided to make their move. You see, Kai has his eye on this choo-choo ornament...and Kian really likes this one red polka-dotted clown...and Vivienne, well she likes everything up there... They all three basically rushed the pre-determined weakest part of the playyard, the joint, pushing it flat almost into the table it protected. Then, this allowed Vivienne and Kai access to the corner behind the cabinet and next to that window where they could reach the tree. Do you know that the sound of ornaments dropping onto the floor is about the same noise as a matchbox car dropping on the train table? Yep, it's pretty quiet, and most destructive. Only a few ornaments actually bit it last night, though. I caught them soon enough, but it was too late for my grandmother's 1950's german glass clip-bird. It had shattered into soo many peices that only the head remained in tact. It looked almost like powder on the floor, actually. They had managed to remove almost 30 ornaments by the time I discovered what they were up to. The babies are that quiet and that good about what they do. So, today, the other piano bench has joined its mate inside the playpen. Each bench is wedged against a table leg and keeps the gate from being re-formed into a different shape. I am so hoping that they do not figure out how to climb over the gate somehow, because at some point, husband and I thought it was a good idea to wrap presents and put them under the tree. But, for now, I have this false sense of security at least. I wonder how long it will last! ooh, the its MINE!!! phase...too funny of a time really-but it can be scary!!! thankfully we kinda missed that having three of em- most of the time they dont know who it belonged to in the first place so its all community property-unless of course someone else wants what you have...but mine are weird & actually will trade each other for things- even if its not agreed upon by both parties- its a here you can have this shoe which entitles me to take your train sorta deal!!! i just never know what the kids will think up next!!!!! ~Mimi