I'll fix it up there, then I'll bring it back here.

This was the scene this morning on my front porch.

After Emmy and Septimus knocked over the Christmas tree.

And H. dragged it outside, because of course we had just refilled the water so it wouldn't burn down until I got around to taking it down.

And there was water all over the hardwood floor of the entryway. And pine needles everywhere. Terzo had pine needles in his diiaper when I changed him. Honest to God.

I was supposed to take it down Sunday but I wasn't feeling well. Cough, cough.

I planned to take it down yesterday afternoon but it was warm here so I took the boys out for a walk instead. And then had to get dinner ready.

So the stupid cats did it for me. Oh thank you so much, my helpful Emmy and my useful Septimus.

I also then had to calm down a sobbing Primo and Segundo who believed me when I snarled at the cats, "I hate you! I am going to KILL you! I am giving you away! And Emmy, I wish that car had finished you off!"

I explained to Primo, by way of consolation, as I walked him to preschool, that in ten years, when I am hanging the glued-together ornaments on the tree, he will say, "Hey, Mama, do you remember the year the cats knocked over the tree?" and we will all LAUGH ABOUT THIS. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I am not sure that H. didn't actually do more damage to the ornaments as he dragged it out the front door, but what can I say about that? I would've probably done the same thing.

Only three ornaments were irreparably broken - two of a set of three Ukrainian eggs, and Primo's glass dragonfly ornament I bought him when he was a baby. A horse came off my Cinderella coach. Part of the loop broke off an old glass ball. I don't think any are missing. So it could have been oh so much worse. At least the heirloom cardboard-and tin-foil-star survived intact. The ornaments are all gathered in a laundry basket for triage when I get home.



And so Christmas 2005 ends.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.