Undeck The Halls

Well … that atta be the last of the Christmas decorations.  Taking’em down definitely feels more like a chore than putting’em up.  But with these last pieces of Christmas adornments tucked away, the holiday is officially over.

I suppose it’s a bit late by most standard, but Jolie and I really wouldn’t know.  That’s because this past holiday was the first time Jolie and I really decked the halls.  In the seven years we’ve lived in Colorado, we’ve only been home for two of it.  And this year, thanks to our friend Michelle, we were inspired to dress up our home … and not only with the holiday spirit, but also with some long over due decor.  Our new favorite home-stuff-store is Gordman’s … thanks Michelle!  With our drabby walls finally dressed with framed photos, ledges and more pictures of our family and accents of the season throughout, we  fell in love with home all over again.

Speaking of our holidays, let me just finally report that we had a terrific one.  We passed up on travelling this season mainly because of our little one, Nina.  And in fact, the first time we stayed home was due to Parker - Jolie was way too pregnant with him then.  But because we stayed home, this holiday was pure relaxation.  My employer shut downs for the stretch between Christmas and New Year.  This year that amounted to almost 2 weeks of company paid-holiday, which in itself was a sweet deal.  But instead of using up that time exhausting ourselves in the usually busy family visits in L.A., we stayed put and let family come to us.

Our usual 2 weeks worth of packing, dealing with airport security, and getting in an ever-so-cramped economy flights is one thing.  Throw in a toddler and an infant takes it to whole ‘nother level.  And for us, landing in L.A. is just the beginning of the rat race.  From there, Jolie and I are soon racing between my folks in Pasadena, Jolie’s mom (and our base camp) in Chino Hills, and her dad in Buena Park … all conveniently located 45 minutes from each other – give or take an hour depending on rush hour.  It really does seem like traffic in L.A. gets worst every year we visit.  There’s no longer a time of day or week where there isn’t any traffic, so you can imagine the compounding effect that can have.  And did I mention grandpa Bob in Palm Desert and my cousins in neighboring Phoenix?  You get the picture. 

This past holiday, however, Jolie’s mom and step-dad graciously came to us so we wouldn’t be completely without family. And since they’ve pretty much seen all there is to be seen in Colorado from previous visits, we didn’t have to do any Colorado touring for them either.  So again, it was a travel-free holiday that everyone simply enjoyed.  The main highlights were sleeping in, taking naps, walking around the block, taking photos of the kiddos, and greeting neighbors I haven’t chatted in months.  It was doubly pleasurable for me with grandparents to preoocupy both the wife and kids allowing me to sneak away from time to time!

With Parker now at an age where he can appreciate and understand things more, the timing was perfect.  We got to do some of the traditions that most families with young ones do.  For instance, Parker helped mom bake cookies for Santa – placing a few on a plate under the tree with a cup of milk.  Also, we waited for Parker to go to sleep before letting out all the gifts and placing them under the tree. 

There was even Parker’s “My first Scooter” – a big, red, scooter by Radio Flyer placed next to the tree – assembled with a big bow on top.  It was cliche, I must admit, but it was a just good fun for us to do.  Admittedly and shamelessly, there was a small fortune of gifts under the tree with doting grandparents and all.  But to see Parker’s face light up Christmas morning was priceless.  It was, for all intent and purpose, his first Christmas morning.

It does make me a bit sad to have to take down the decoration, especially the pre-lit garlands above the kitchen cabinets that added a warm touch and soothing, alternative lighting.  And there is still the chore of  sorting and boxing all of it.  But before long, I hope to have’em out of the way and in the garage storage where they stay dormant and unseen for the next ten months … until the season arrives again.

… well may be nine at the rate I’m going.

[ Undeck The Halls Gallery ]