McBride Links: Now, to tacky it up!

We always decorate to White Christmas. Thankfully the kids love that movie as much as I do and because it is an incredibly long movie, it lasts the duration of the decorating. I had a horrible (50th time) realization this Christmas. I am a control freak. Truth is, I look forward every year to sipping a hot beverage, listening to Christmas music and nurturing my nest with decorations. I enjoy changing a few things up from year to year and leaving other things ritualistically the same.

The kids throw open the Christmas tubs like they are filled with chocolate chips and cheetos. It makes me nervous. It makes me...well, let's face it - I think I had to use my inhaler. The day the tubs came in from the garage this year, the kids jumped up and down with delight. "Can we decorate now, Daddy?!" "Sure," was his reply. I think that is when I started to hyperventilate. Enter control freak mother. Can you hear the screeching halt that all the Christmas fun came to? I knew I was ridiculous even as I was speaking. And I could hear my children, decades later as we all gather for Christmas talking about me. "Remember every year when we would get so excited when Dad brought out the Christmas decorations? And remember how Mom micro-managed our every breath? That was loads of fun!" So I tried to back off a little. And what used to take one day, took about a week and a half...more because of a two year old and an infant, though, not because of my micro-managing...I hope. In the end the house was warm and lovely and hopefully I won't get such a bad rap in 2033.

I got a cramp in my fingers cutting out those felt nativity pieces. I think they kids played with it twice. I still loved looking at it on the wall beside the tree. Worth it.