Saturday, December 20, 2008

Never Fast Enough

I like to think of myself as slow and steady. I may not finish ahead of the masses but I do, in my own, time get the job done. Last night at GP's insistence, I brought up the Xmas tree. I was going to set it up today (Saturday) but I caught him in the basement looking frazzled because he did not see the tree (as if I had the tree set up in the basement...kids, they think the tree is actually a tree when it gets to your home. Little do they know it's a puzzle that needs to be assembled, fluffed and lit!). Well, I got him upstairs and told him I would find it and bring it up. Needless to say, once he saw the little box he was baffled, and I had to open it and show him that yes, in fact, it was our LR (Living Room) tree. Well, it was like a can of worms...first "show me the tree", then "we have to fix it" (he thought it was broken. and then a big sigh once it was up...even if it was all tied up and bundled, it was up....).
Ok, so my job is now done, or so I think (mind you the tree is not scheduled for Friday, it is on my Sat schedule because I do this all alone...hence GP's bafflement at the tree in a box). Anyway, I go back to my Xmas Stocking (I am in a swap and I am making the stocking that ships out on Monday...it's a work of heart and stitched by hand, more on that tomorrow) which was on my Fri PM schedule...
GP then comes to the family room and wants to know how Santa is going to find him. I tell him that he will find us because the tree will go by the window and Santa uses the tree lights as his gps system. He goes from house to house but he only visits the houses with the tree lights by the windows because those houses are Christian. He does not visit the houses that celebrate Hanuka.
And GP says "Santa uses the tree as a nightlight too"... so I add, "that too, you wouldn't want Santa to fall down and break all the toys!" So off he goes, again. I am in the family room getting a big fat blister on my finger from pulling the pearle cotton with a needle that was way too small.
A little while later he comes back, again...now he wants to know "where are GP's tree lights" (not our tree lights, now the tree is his, LOL!- he still speaks in third person but I was told he might never speak at all so I rarely correct him, I'm just happy he talks!) , I tell him I have them downstairs. He starts doing the frazzled "flapping" so I go get the lights and put them on the table next to the tree and tell him, "Mom will put them on the tree tomorrow, don't worry, he will find you"... and back to trying to finish the darn stocking...
Well, that was it, he left me alone and I made some headway on my stocking. Then when I came back to tell him it was time to get ready for bed, I found the tree was all wrapped and had the lights wrapped around it (Like in the cartoons when they wrap the characters in rope. just around and around) . Anyway, he tells me "it's all done, but needs ornaments..." OMG, I was speechless, he's such a good boy. >Sigh<
So I sat on the floor and started opening the branches and fluffing up the tree while he was taking a shower. I had to first unwrap the lights; I put them on the floor next to the tree to restring them today when I finished fluffing up the tree. Then I went to put on my own PJ's and
when I came back, this is what I saw!
Look closely and you will see he draped the lights on the tree on the side that faces the window!
I just smiled and gave him a hug with a big "thank you" for being so "helpful".
Guess I just wasn't fast enough, gotta love that kid!

3 comments:

Susan in SC said...

I think it is just perfect! I know Santa will appreciate the lights next to the window - makes it easier for him to find GP!

Julie said...

Well, that is a sweet Christmas story! I am certain there is NO WAY Santa can miss your house now!!

Joanna said...

That really is the sweetest story, and I can just hear his voice saying all those things! So funny! We are snowed in too. Been shovelling like crazy (snowblower is in the repair shop...aargh!) and as soon as we're done shovelling it's time to start all over again! Wish I had your driveway!

BTW, the boys and I got some spinich pizza by your place on Friday. It was morning or I would have come and shared! They LOVED it!