The Two Tree Plan

As I finished up our Christmas stockings,

kittystockings.jpg

Santa comes to see cats too! Their stockings mimic the big stockings. I just need to add the hanging loopy things.

I realized that they are much too “rustic” for the living room* and will look out of place. In addition to that, the fireplaces in the front room are all blocked up**. Blocked chimneys cause logistical problems for Santa. Not that Santa will be here this year, but I owe it to the guy to think ahead about things like that. Which is why I developed the Two Tree Plan.

I’ve got to have a tree in the living room, it’s on the front of the house, and looks pretty (decorations are just about the only thing Christmas has in its favor). I’ve also got to have a tree in the den with the real fireplace*** to facilitate present delivery. This year, we won’t have a live tree. Instead, we have a pre-lit artificial one for the living room that I spent an hour decorating with $20 worth of gold ornaments (to match the gold stuff stuck in the garlands on the mantles). William Henry spent 20 minutes decorating the floor around the tree with the ornaments from the lower limbs.

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If it were real, he would climb right to the top.

Next year, the artificial tree will still be with us AND I can get a live tree for the den! That is two trees! This also means that there is no longer a time constraint on the Tree Skirt. I am awarding myself a point for forward thinking (next year I get two points because I will have two trees). William Henry gets a point for his mad floor decorating skills. Christmas still earns a point because I bought an artificial tree (and artificial wreaths for the front doors but that was totally due to frugality).

I get another point because I don’t have to travel anywhere for Christmas! Christmas has to come to me because I am big and fat****. HOHOHO. This does mean that a large chunk of the baking has to be finished early for the mail and Christmas has a great opportunity to screw me during Christmas Dinner Preparation but I’m going to think about that tomorrow. Today I am going to focus my energy on my Knitting Goal for 2007: 52 CounterPain Squares. I’ve only got 17 more to go! Even with fighting the good fight against Christmas and Michael’s family coming on Christmas Day, I feel like this is totally doable.

Especially since I have scrapped the Mommy Snug. My reasons for this are three-fold: 1) It fits closely and that means that I will probably hate wearing it. 2) I hate the sleeves and by the time I figure out how to fix them, it’ll be Too Late to get much good out of the sweater. 3) I think the yarn will look much better as a Hemlock Ring Blanket.

William Henry – 1 Emily – 6 Christmas – 4

*Despite my best efforts to make the front rooms of the house non-froo-froo it seems that a little froo is in my genes. It’s a quandary for nature vs. nurture.
**Six of the seven fireplaces in the house are fixed up for gas. None of these are actually connected to the gas line or to gas heating appliances.
***The one fireplace that might actually function as a fireplace is in the den. I haven’t called the inspector to see if it’s safe. As long as he doesn’t come and take a look, there is still the possibility of a fire.
****It’s the MiniMiracle’s fault. It has nothing to do with all the pie. More on that next post.

20 thoughts on “The Two Tree Plan

  1. sprite

    I’d hate to see Santa make the same mistake with your non-operative chimney that the Weasleys did with Uncle Vernon’s fireplace when they hooked it up to the Floo Network. Good choice to have a second tree for Santa’s use.

  2. Wen

    We just got our fireplaces (it’s a double) fixed. No damper or cap meant a very cold and drafty house! Of course, Santa is magic so he will be able to fill kitteh stockings no matter which fireplace is nearby. Don’t fret William Henry.

    And I am also knitting Christmas stockings. Stay tuned for a post as their size is not to be believed. (crossing fingers that the white part will felt…)

    Will we get to see a belly shot? I’m sure you look beautiful!

  3. Abigail

    Oh, that William Henry…but really what else is that hansome puss expected to do when you tempt him like that:D

    I am glad to hear that the Mini Miracle is growing well. We can’t wait to see him or her.

  4. Kim

    You’re so lucky to have so many fireplaces! I too ditched the Mommy Snug – I’m just not fast enough knitting sweaters for myself. (I’ve knit 1 and it took me 15 months.) A fireplace is the only thing we wish we had in our house. But then again, we see the ocean, so it’s a fair tradeoff.

  5. the country girl

    I had no idea that the kitties numbered SIX now. Wow…. The stockings are perfecly adorable……… And I’m quite sure the house looks wonderful. Congrats on completing DTR! I know you are overjoyed!

  6. danielle

    Dear Emily,
    Even at 9 months pregnant, I don’t think you will ever be a fat****.
    My co-worker asked me yesterday if I was going to get a tree, and I said it was just me, there was really no good reason. Besides, my mom will have one at her house. And he replied, “But your cats would love it!”

  7. Lynne

    That is alot of mantles…for many more stockings…for many more minimiracles ( not of the kitten variety)? I love having more than one tree, because it gives me a chance to overload on fru-fru and get it all out of my system.

  8. Katie

    Yes, where is that baby bump shot??? I wish I had so many fireplaces. We only have one, which was fitted for gas when we got here, but we found out it was totally messed up and improperly installed, and plus it didn’t provide any heat, so we got rid of all of the trappings and now it’s pretty much empty. But we’re scared to use it with wood. So, it’s just basically a flying squirrel trap (and a pretty good one, too).

    Love the kitteh stockings.

  9. your ornament swap pal

    I’m a horrible horrible pal. Unfortunately due to losing the pattern and then, just life in general, I’m not even going to get your package in the mail until Friday (maybe Thursday if I’m just really lucky), but God willing since we are in the same state, you will have it on Saturday.

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