I am the Editorial Assistant for The Fort Scott Tribune, where I have been employed since March of 2008. I live in the country near Mapleton, Kan., with my husband and our two children. I graduated from Uniontown High School, Uniontown, Kan., but before attending Uniontown, I moved around several times during my childhood. I love to take photos, write, read and spend time with my family. I am also a member of our local fire department and enjoy attending church with my family and appreciate everything a small town has to offer. I look forward to watching my children grow and spending time with my husband and family while living in the country.

O Christmas Tree, Poor Christmas Tree

Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at 3:10 PM

I am getting everything ready for the holiday season. Most of my christmas shopping is finished, the stockings are hung and most of the gifts are wrapped. My christmas tree, which is a 6 foot fake green tree, has been up since before Thanksgiving. Problem is, I'm worried it won't even make it to Christmas.

When purchasing a Christmas tree, I went to Wal-mart and looked around, trying to decide which one I liked the best. I decided to go with green, since it would be more like the real thing. We decided against a real one because my son is an asthmatic and I didn't want anything to set him off. Thinking that my son would probably destroy the decorations, I was prepared and purchased these wonderful shatter proof round ornaments. I was so excited to put up the Christmas tree and I just knew my son would love it. However, when purchasing the tree, I wasn't aware that I needed a 6 ft. tall cage to enclose it in. Looking back, that may have been a good purchase to make.

Now, I was right. My son does love the Christmas tree. But he doesn't stand back, distantly admiring it in all it's beauty. No, instead, every decoration that I have carefully hung in just the perfect place is torn down and thrown to the grown. Now my beautiful, brand new christmas tree looks as if someone has ran it over several times and then tried to put it back together. It's flat and the branches are askew and most of the lovely decorations are strung from my kitchen to my living room.

I attempted to redecorate it, gathering all the decorations and hanging them again, but it lasted for about 5 minutes after my son got home. He is like a one man wrecking crew, destroying everything in his path. At this point, I've just decided to leave it until Christmas Eve, then I will decorate it, again and pray that it will last while we open presents.

I was thinking next year would be better, because my son would be old enough to handle it (maybe!) but then I realized there isn't any hope for next year either. By then, my daughter will be about a year and a half, walking age and I'm sure the tree will be just as fascinating to her too.

Oh well, isn't it the thought that counts?