O Christmas tree!

Boy, we're not a couple with luck on our side. Last year, the Old Man was stuck in the airport for Christmas and this year- he's overseas. Third time's a charm, right?

Our Christmas last year was a doosey. :) Last year I found out the Old Man has quite a few Christmas quirks, which made me realize, I guess I do too...

We've well established that my apartment isn't the biggest apartment in town, but last year, I felt that Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't get a giant tree. Our first debate began on whether or not to even get one at all. We had decided that we were going to our separate hometowns for the holidays and having a tree just to have a tree and not open presents under it didn't quite sit well with the Old Man. I finally convinced him that it was just plain necessary and the madness began!

We headed off to Target to get our tree decorations and little did I know, he had his eyes on the prize...a 5 ft FAKE Christmas tree! Apparently, he came from one of those fake tree families...you know, the one's who would opt to not deal with the sapping tree and pine needles that would continue to be pranced around the floor for months to come. Me on the other hand, I relish in the smell of fresh pine and the sound of the cat playing in the middle of the tree. There's nothing but real trees and happiness in Anna-Land!

So we pick out a few ornaments. Plastic for cat's sake of course. And we argue about his tinsel or my garland. Garland. Then we move to his gold ornaments or my colored ornaments. Colored. We need lights! Lights? His white or my colored. Purple. You can see where this is going. As I'm carting along smiling and excited about our first tree, the Old Man is stewing behind me... Nearly $100 dollars later, we have our handpicked Christmas tree dressings and I'm ready to go. To my surprise, he stops by the rows of fake trees expecting to throw one in the basket and I'm pleading with him for a real one. (I need pine!!!) How ridiculous am I? By this time, we were on Christmas overload and decide to sit on the type of tree for a night. I didn't realize how quirky we both were when creating the perfect, first Christmas tree and by the end of it all, both our bridges were in a ruffle!

The next morning we went over to the nursery behind my apt to price real trees. This time he's the one pleading. He's throwing out every possible reason to get a fake tree and I'm coming back with two more (ridiculous) reasons not to. What about the cat? What about the needles? What about the sap? What about the space? What about me? Everything you can imagine, the Old Man tried to use to convince me.

When it was all said and done, hearing the sound of the tree pines swishing against his snow jacket as he carried the real tree on his shoulder nearly four blocks home and seeing trail of pines that followed- I thought, man does this guy love me! (not to mention the multiple trips to the pet store trying to de-soph-ify the tree with every trick imaginable!)

Well, now that I realized I was the Christmas tyrant, I mailed him his very own- one of a kind, 2 foot fake Christmas tree, with tinsel, gold ornaments, white lights and a smile...as I bit my tongue all the way to the shopping line. (nah, just kidding about that last part)

I miss you Old Man! Happy Christmas Tree!!!