The Fate of our Kwismas Twee

December 28th, 2008. Published under family fun. 8 Comments.

Balls of the same color  flock together

Dec.11, 2008

Our two-day old xmas tree – Will it survive my two-year old’s (a.k.a. El Terrible) curious and destructive attention?

LAST NIGHT she told me emphatically (complete with hand gestures): “Mami, cahhful! Cahhful, mami! Don chachit tea kwismas twee!” In people talk it meant “Mommy, careful! Careful, mommy! Don’t touch the christmas tree.”

I FELT HOPEFUL. Maybe her terrible-two brain has grown up quite a bit and she has somehow understood the concept of self-control. Our tree may yet live til christmas eve.

THIS MORNING she was pulling me toward the tree saying, “Mami, I want tea bews (Mommy, I want the bells).” I told her “No, the bells are not toys. Just look, but don’t touch.”

THIS AFTERNOON she took out three bells from the tree. Looks like her self-control has started to shatter.

Dec. 12, 2008

Our three-day old christmas tree is now missing the red  skirt that covers its base.  The cheap xmas tree skirt  I bought from the 99Cents store was torn into tiny bits and pieces by the El Terrible. What’s the next thing to go? I wonder.

Dec. 14, 2008

I woke up from a nap on the sofa to find out that the El Terrible had been busy. Earlier she had helped me hang some new red christmas balls on different parts of the tree.  While I was sleeping, she suddenly developed an artistic eye and thought that the tree would look better if the red balls were all congregated on one branch. She’s in the process of doing the same to the green ones. Her design principle: Balls of the same color flock together. 

Dec. 15, 2008

Look at these two figurines. They’re both music boxes that play a tune whenever you open them up.  Inside each of  their bellies is a christmas scene that goes round and round while the music plays.  My mother gave them to me.  She wanted to give me more, but I just took two, afraid that they might end up broken.  I placed them under the tree. They are now the El Terrible’s favorite.  

Do these  things come off?

Dec. 22, 2008

The figurines are still intact, but the decorations are in a state of flux. They never stay  in one place. Thanks to our in-house decorator.  Perched  precariously on her kiddie rocking chair,she constantly arranges and rearranges the position of the ornaments. Not wanting to start a major tantrum, I let her artistic inclinations run free. I could only watch with resignation.

There, that looks better!

Dec. 23,2008

El Terrible called me. She was in the living room. The six-foot tree had been  toppled  to the floor.  The culprit had an anxious look on her face.  I just shook my head and pulled it up without a word.  Relieved, she went straight back  to arranging and rearranging the ornaments.

Dec. 24, 2008

Gift-giving day. I wanted our tree to  have the sophisticated look of the ones you see in magazines.  It would help us have great  family photos.  I suppose I should be satisfied that  it has survived long enough for me to take a picture of my kids  opening their presents with it as a backdrop.  I congratulated myself.  Maybe next year would be easier.  I’d be less anxious about the fate of our christmas tree. My terrible twoofer would be three years old.  I wouldn’t have to constantly  remind her to “Just look, but don’t touch”.  Hopefully  she wouldn’t be too interested in design anymore.