Let the Decorating begin

Since we are going to be gone the weekend after Thanksgiving, we have started a very slow process of decorating for Christmas. The plan was for me to decorate an hour or so each night after Zane and Zander went to bed. My kind, loving, sweet, accomodating husband (can you tell he wasn't happy about the early decorations?) got down two of our trees and set them up for me. Here is the big tree that I'm trying in a new location this year (the breakfast room....so yes that is a chandelier you see to the left of the tree!)

Zane and Zander woke up the next morning and I showed them the trees all lit up (still with no decorations though). They quickly learned to say "tree."

I guess Zane thought the big tree would look better with something on it. Here is what I found in it later in the day....

Pointing to show me what he did!....

I know this one is blurry but he was so happy to show me his decorations....

Last night after Zane and Zander went to bed, me and the other 2 kiddos decorated the much smaller tree. I am using it this year as a "family tree." Putting all the kids ornaments on it. I let Eli and Emma Kate put ALL the ornaments on wherever they wanted. My only rule was that all the breakables had to be out-of-reach for 4 little 18month old hands!

Here is the almost-finished product. I have to find something for the top of the tree and also try to keep it from leaning. (see i could've made you think it was the camera's angle that makes the tree look like its leaning. But unfortunately its not.) ....

I was very curious to see what Zane and Zander would do to the ornaments when they woke up this morning and discovered them. Surprisingly they haven't tried to take one thing off yet.

However, little decorator Zaney was back at it this afternoon. This time putting cups and spoons on the tree....

Here's a close-up. The spoon is in the right corner behind the cup....

I do have a 6paneled gate to put around the big tree if needed to keep out the prying hands. We'll see what they do to it after I get it decorated!