From the Home Front to the Front Line: Christmas Intervention: Ambushed

It's been a little difficult to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I know we just passed Thanksgiving, but I always enjoy listening to Christmas music and decorating with Advent and Christmas decorations, and baking yummy treats. With less hours in the day to do that, it seemed an impossible task. Additionally, Asher and a tree were just not a mix I could see working. 3 minutes at my parents' house while decorating their tree proved disastrous....Asher had a bulb broken! I had resolved to not put up a tree.

My dear friend Jodi had been asking me to make plans with her for Saturday, and I kept pouting and brushing her off. With no plans for my Saturday, this morning I sent her a text saying I'd be willing to do something. She said we could go shopping around 10:30. I, ever the planner, wanted to "know the plan." She brushed me off & said we'd figure it out when she got here. I told her I didn't want her coming in my "messy house" & she said "we won't come in too far."

At a few minutes after 10 AM, just out of the shower, towel wrapped around my head and in my bathrobe, I came downstairs to check on Asher...and there is a knock at my door....

My dear friend Erin was standing on my front porch...and as I opened the door, it was too late.

I had been ambushed.

Erin & Jodi were standing on my porch. With cleaning buckets and supplies. And boxes of decorations and ornaments. And wine. And Velveeta Magic dip. SERIOUSLY. Ambushed.

The dog was barking, the kid was running around screaming, and I was not wearing any underwear. WHAT were my friends thinking?

I was certain we were still shopping. "I'm not ready to go shopping! You said 10:30!" I protested.
"We're not shopping. YOU can go shopping. We're putting up your Christmas tree & cleaning your house," they said.

What?!

My sister was in on the secret. My mom was in on the secret. Even JAKE was in on the secret. Jake can't keep secrets...and he didn't let this one out of the bag! What?!

So...they set to work. They dragged the Christmas tree out of it's dark, dirty hiding place. And began scrubbing, on their hands & knees, my dirty hardwood floors. And vacuuming. And Swiffering. And a little wine was drunk. Perhaps before Noon. I helped by sorting through toys, and cleaning, too.

But then they decided to move upstairs. If it's not embarassing enough to have your friends take over and clean your house, it's completely mortifying to have them clean your bathroom. Seriously. Look. Proof.

And they're SMILING. CRAZY.

I was SO mad at them. Check it out. My mad face.

It's also my "I didn't have time to do my hair because you showed up at my house & I almost flashed you accidentally because I'm wearing a bathrobe" face.

This was next. The tree.

See, Hawks & Cyclones (respectively) CAN get along.

Look at that teamwork.

This is the part of tree-decorating that Jake & I are usually fighting about.

Erin & Jodi yelled at each other a little just to make it realistic.

It really felt like Christmas.

Aren't they amazing?

Here you can see the bows & photo frame ornaments they made special for our special tree.

Part of my hesitation with putting up a tree this year was

A) Asher will pull it over on himself

B) All the ornaments will get broken

C) I can't handle it if A and/or B happen!

"Taken care of!" they said. "If he pulls the tree over on himself, he won't do it again."

LORD.

"Asher's in the remedial stage of things right now," I protest.
"Well," they said, "If he pulls it over on himself, the ornaments won't break. We got you non-breakable balls."

SERIOUSLY.