Tuesday, December 12, 2006

O Christmas Tree

This weekend in Kitchener, Joel and I helped Mom and Dad put up their Christmas tree. I'm always surprised at the number of ornaments Mom and Dad have accumulated over 35 years of marriage. There are the sentimental ornaments: Nan Kennedy's bell, my yellow snowman from Brownies and the giant bulb Joel made in grade school made out of sequins and push pins. There are ornaments they have had since the were married, and ornaments that have just become part of the Kennedy Christmas experience over the years.

Last night Owen and I put up our own Christmas tree. It is a lot smaller than the one at Casa Kennedy and we haven't amassed such a vast ornament collection as Judes & Donnie K. have -yet - but again there are sentimental favorites: Owen's ornaments from his childhood, a Piglet ornament we bought together as part of a private joke and of course the obligatory Toronto Maple Leaf's bulb. We listened to the Ramones sing, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" and talked about how next Christmas will be different and how we'll have ornaments on our tree that our kid(s) will remember when they're in their 30's.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

awwwww! Sniff. A very lovely post. I love decorating the tree! I helped my mom last week and we had fun putting up old decorations from when we were small too (ie crocheted snow flakes from my grandma that are stiff as a board now!)

Our xmas tree was put up last week and promptly fell over. I don't care if they are "ONLY $20 and you get a $25 coupon to spend" no more IKEA trees for me! They are wusses. I am just glad that my $50US Empire State Building didn't break... and no others did for that matter. Jamie is mad that I have ornaments that are not "kid friendly" and that the skirt around the tree is gold and red and ornate instead of bright red with santa's and reindeer on it! Don't you think that I have one more year to be Martha? Next year I can be big bird. GAWD.

ARGrogan said...

I helped Joanie and Chachie put up the tree too. This tradition entails dad and me telling mom she has too much stuff, and her not wanting to throw anything away for sentimental reasons.

We put up our tree and it is so nice in the new house. Too bad we don't spend a lot of time in the living room to enjoy it.

Anonymous said...

loved jour post today.owen&you will have lots of your favorites in years to come. i am so happy we have made so many nice memories for you&your brother.those memories are priceless. we look forward to having you&owen over the holidays.xxxxxxxxmom

Anonymous said...

Great blog, Jen!
When we were decorating our tree this past weekend, I noticed how many ornaments were from family members - I have felt "santas" that you and Joel made in grade school, colored cheerio thingy's from Paul and Lori and plastic bead ornaments from Joanne and Jill. I have felt mice from Michelle and Stephen and a popsicle stick, um, um, sleigh? from Andrea. Then there's the Frederick girls - not much into the craft thing, their ornaments are store bought but cherised just the same. Each of my nieces and nephews has given me a tree ornament over the years. I like it that every member of the Lane family is represented so you'll need to ensure that baby Connell makes us something to add to our collection as soon as he/she is old enough to use glue, pins and scissors! oh, yeah, from a past blog I remember you saying you were not great at crafts so maybe we need one of the Peterson cousins there just in case you get "artist's block". :-)