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1.) Wild Bob - 12/08/2014
So its time to deck the halls and put the Christmas lights up on the outside of the house. Its time to help do all the other decorating that the wife likes to do on and in our home.
I have one major issue that comes into play with this year: I have a back problem which has not only screwed my hunting season this year (I’ll quickly glaze over this extremely negative issue for me :bang::tap:), but also makes doing these seasonal chores a no go for me.
Enter my two sons 14 and 10 years old. So this year, my wife and I go into all this explaining to the boys that they are not going to be able to rely on dear old Dad to get all this stuff done…We explain to them that they are going to have to step up and completely do everything from loading, unloading Christmas tree, prep it to go in house, get it in house, set it up, put lights on it, help do all decorating in the house, put up all lights and decorations on the outside of house…you get the idea – they are going to have to do it all this time around.
In the past, my wife has always enjoyed doing these tasks just her and me, and then surprising the kids with the end result. The short of it all; good for them, a lot of work for me!
So, we pretty much let them know that this (past) weekend, was going to be very busy for them and a lot of work. They were not too overly excited (what kids would be when you tell them they all of a sudden have to do a bunch of work that they normally never have to do!) But alas, they both understand the situation, and are good kids, so they pull up their boot straps, so to speak, and jump into their busy weekend.
So I’ll spare you a long rendition of all the ups and downs from their busy weekend…but this exchange late Sunday evening drove it all home for me:
Both boys come into the house to warm up; they are red faced frazzled and not very happy. My oldest didn’t realize I was sitting within ear-shot and he says under his breath to his brother, “Those dam lights are pain in the ass to hook up and get running.” My youngest replies to him, “yea, I get mad, when you put ‘em up then you find out they don’t work and you got to pull ‘em down and put more up.”
So they sally up to the kitchen table, and mom brings them some mugs of hot chocolate. They’re sitting there not talking much just drinking their hot chocolate.
My oldest looks at me then his brother and says, “Dad, you do this all this ever year for us.” My youngest chimes in and says, “Yea, that’s why we gotta help him from now on – because I sure wouldn’t want to have to do all this work by myself.”
- Yep, I got lots to be thankful for! :-)
I have one major issue that comes into play with this year: I have a back problem which has not only screwed my hunting season this year (I’ll quickly glaze over this extremely negative issue for me :bang::tap:), but also makes doing these seasonal chores a no go for me.
Enter my two sons 14 and 10 years old. So this year, my wife and I go into all this explaining to the boys that they are not going to be able to rely on dear old Dad to get all this stuff done…We explain to them that they are going to have to step up and completely do everything from loading, unloading Christmas tree, prep it to go in house, get it in house, set it up, put lights on it, help do all decorating in the house, put up all lights and decorations on the outside of house…you get the idea – they are going to have to do it all this time around.
In the past, my wife has always enjoyed doing these tasks just her and me, and then surprising the kids with the end result. The short of it all; good for them, a lot of work for me!
So, we pretty much let them know that this (past) weekend, was going to be very busy for them and a lot of work. They were not too overly excited (what kids would be when you tell them they all of a sudden have to do a bunch of work that they normally never have to do!) But alas, they both understand the situation, and are good kids, so they pull up their boot straps, so to speak, and jump into their busy weekend.
So I’ll spare you a long rendition of all the ups and downs from their busy weekend…but this exchange late Sunday evening drove it all home for me:
Both boys come into the house to warm up; they are red faced frazzled and not very happy. My oldest didn’t realize I was sitting within ear-shot and he says under his breath to his brother, “Those dam lights are pain in the ass to hook up and get running.” My youngest replies to him, “yea, I get mad, when you put ‘em up then you find out they don’t work and you got to pull ‘em down and put more up.”
So they sally up to the kitchen table, and mom brings them some mugs of hot chocolate. They’re sitting there not talking much just drinking their hot chocolate.
My oldest looks at me then his brother and says, “Dad, you do this all this ever year for us.” My youngest chimes in and says, “Yea, that’s why we gotta help him from now on – because I sure wouldn’t want to have to do all this work by myself.”
- Yep, I got lots to be thankful for! :-)
2.) luv2bowhunt - 12/08/2014
You're lucky you have boys. With 4 girls I had zero chance of getting help to get anything done outside of the house. Just think of all the character you're helping them to develop. :tu:
3.) Swamp Fox - 12/08/2014
Ha! :tu:
I was unraveling a long drop cord out in the yard the other day to hook up a charger to a trolling motor battery---certainly not an uncommon task for me-- and I guess it was the cold weather or the time of year or a combination, but I got a sudden and uncommon flashback of helping my dad with Christmas lights. Talk about lights and ancient power cords that didn't work from year to year, LOL! Long strings of lights that wouldn't work if just one bulb was kaput! Do they still make them that way? Electrical tape that had managed to barely hang on since approximately 1964. Ladders that were about to break any minute.
Your post makes me realize all of a sudden why the folks converted to a fake tree at some point, over my strenuous objections every year. No one was around to help wrestle a live one from a lot to the homestead after my two sisters and I left home, or at least no one arrived for Christmas early enough to help decorate. The artificial tree would come down from the attic and get up somehow, and slowly but surely my mom would get the Christmas knickknacks into position starting soon after Thanksgiving, but the major work like most of the tree decoration and almost all the outside lights waited for "the children's " arrival for the holiday.
Can't say I was always an enthusiastic Santa's Little Helper, but when you think---for no reason and out of the blue--of putting up Christmas lights with your dad, you know it means something.
I was unraveling a long drop cord out in the yard the other day to hook up a charger to a trolling motor battery---certainly not an uncommon task for me-- and I guess it was the cold weather or the time of year or a combination, but I got a sudden and uncommon flashback of helping my dad with Christmas lights. Talk about lights and ancient power cords that didn't work from year to year, LOL! Long strings of lights that wouldn't work if just one bulb was kaput! Do they still make them that way? Electrical tape that had managed to barely hang on since approximately 1964. Ladders that were about to break any minute.
Your post makes me realize all of a sudden why the folks converted to a fake tree at some point, over my strenuous objections every year. No one was around to help wrestle a live one from a lot to the homestead after my two sisters and I left home, or at least no one arrived for Christmas early enough to help decorate. The artificial tree would come down from the attic and get up somehow, and slowly but surely my mom would get the Christmas knickknacks into position starting soon after Thanksgiving, but the major work like most of the tree decoration and almost all the outside lights waited for "the children's " arrival for the holiday.
Can't say I was always an enthusiastic Santa's Little Helper, but when you think---for no reason and out of the blue--of putting up Christmas lights with your dad, you know it means something.
4.) Swamp Fox - 12/08/2014
P.S.
I still think it's too early for Christmas music, LOL.
I still think it's too early for Christmas music, LOL.
5.) Deerminator - 12/09/2014
Kids say the darndest things.And then[I][/I][B] floor ya[/B]:-)
6.) Alex - 12/09/2014
tree is up
7.) bluecat - 12/09/2014
My present is so large it couldn't fit under the tree? Right? Alex?
8.) Deerminator - 12/09/2014
I like the cow ornament:tu:
9.) Swamp Fox - 12/09/2014
LOL---Good eye.
10.) bluecat - 12/09/2014
I spy with my little eye...
11.) Wild Bob - 12/22/2014
Is it still too early for Christmas music....?
12.) Swamp Fox - 12/22/2014
No, it's okay now...LOL
13.) bluecat - 12/22/2014
I normally wait until Christmas day but go ahead.
I really love Christmas music over and over and over and over again.
I really love Christmas music over and over and over and over again.
14.) Swamp Fox - 12/22/2014
LOL...
I thought about encouraging people to post favorite and worst Christmas music, but then I thought, " No, who wants to even click on bad Christmas music?"----I had to channel surf through a bunch of it today on the way back from Camp Swampy...
Some "artists" should just be shot...
I thought about encouraging people to post favorite and worst Christmas music, but then I thought, " No, who wants to even click on bad Christmas music?"----I had to channel surf through a bunch of it today on the way back from Camp Swampy...
Some "artists" should just be shot...