Trimming The Tree

“Oh no, honey, be careful! You’re going to…”

Smash goes the ornament as it hits the floor.

It’s a glass ball, a filler ornament, nothing I can’t replace. So I grab the broom and smile as I sweep its shards into the dust bin.

“Sorry Mom,” my preschooler says, bowing her head.

I bend down next to her and tell her it’s okay as It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year mingles with my older kids’ voices. They’re jockeying for position next to the ornament bin, fighting to put up their favorites. The floor is littered with tissue paper and old glitter, the air thick with pine from the candle I lit earlier. Outside the remnants of the first flurries still dust our deck.

Looking in, the scene is perfect. But inside I’m panicked as my preschooler reaches for another ornament. It is the first year she’s old enough to decorate and her eyes are bright with excitement. But letting her help also means losing control and some of our ornaments are old. Priceless.

So my husband pulls out the soft ornaments and shows her how to hang them. I move the fragile bins higher. We turn on Jingle Bell Rock and hum along as we continue trimming the tree. A couple more glass balls smash and each time I smile and sweep, telling her and me both it’s okay. 

Soon the tree is done and I retreat to the kitchen for eggnog and treats. As I do, there’s another smash.

I turn to find my youngest next to the Christmas figurines I collected as a kid. She’s looking down at a mouse now missing half its limbs.

“I just wanted to look at it,” she says.

I pick up the pieces and try not to cry. My husband takes them from me, says we can fix it with glue. I nod as he puts them aside. 

Then I sit down with my eggnog and kids and push the incident away. All three are ecstatic for Christmas, filled with chatter about their elf and reindeer and Santa. It’s the very best kind of magic, and I don’t know how many Christmases we’ll get with all of them so captivated. I don’t want to ruin it crying over broken ornaments. 

Though later that night I add glue to my shopping list. And move my heirlooms just a little bit higher.