Chopped Liver and Ugly Trees

That's me - chopped liver. Seriously - the kids like Steve best. Micah always tells me he likes Daddy better. He and I will do something fun together, and I'll say "that was fun, Micah", and he'll say "Yeah, but I still like Daddy better". All 3 of the kids would rather snuggle up on the couch with Steve to watch tv than to sit with me. I always say "What am I, chopped liver?" Now, this doesn't upset me - I'm not really offended - it is funny. The other night, however - now that's another story! Steve was out at a meeting and I was giving the kids dinner. It seems that anytime Steve is not home for dinner, the kids (Emmalee and Micah, that is) act like absolute wackos. They giggle and goof off and torment each other, and take forever to eat. So they were doing this the other night and I was going insane. They had each already lost dessert. I was about to resort to sending them both to bed without finishing dinner when Steve walked in. Emmalee promptly finished her dinner and went to the other room. I was spoon-feeding Micah because he WOULD NOT finish on his own. Steve fixed his plate and sat at the table with us. And I started complaining. "They always misbehave when you're not here at dinner-time. They act like completely different crazy kids!" Micah swallowed his food, looks at me with his big brown eyes, and in his sweet little voice says "That's because we just don't like you." Steve and I were both floored and had to fight to keep from laughing. Steve told Micah that wasn't very nice, and he made Micah apologize. We could NOT believe he said that!

So, to get back at them, we made them put the ornaments on our tree. Huh? Let me explain. Our neighbor knows this woman who's husband planted a field of Christmas trees years and years and years ago. Well, he died a couple of years ago, and she does not want the trees. So she told our neighbor that he could come cut down a tree for just $10, and she gives the money to charity. She's been doing this for a year or so. So our neighbor told us, and we decided to go get a tree there instead of paying $30+ for a tree this year. And we like the idea of the money going to charity. So we bundled up on Saturday and went to this woman's house. We should have immediately turned around and gone to a real tree place. It was slim pickings, and most of the trees were too big or too small (think Charlie Brown). I wouldn't have minded a small cute Charlie Brown tree, but Steve did not want one. So he found one that didn't look too horrible (in relation to the others) and cut it down. After taking several inches off the bottom , it looked pretty decent. Until we got it home and in the stand. Really, it's ugly. AND - the pine needles are SO sharp. They really hurt. As we decorated yesterday, I wished we were videotaping - both Micah and Emmalee were crying as we made them put the ornaments on because every time they touched the tree it hurt them! Emmalee put gloves on, but Micah wanted nothing to do with it, and Steve ended up putting most of the ornaments on. On the bright side, Lily has not gotten too close to the tree and taken any ornaments off! So - this will be remembered as being the year of the ugly, ouchy tree! And I think we'll spend the extra $20 next year to get a nicer one...