Maybe tomorrow it'll be a photo of our tree

Writing the Sunday night blog post is always better when I can look at my weekend and see that I accomplished something. Even if it was only one big thing, still it was something that was undone Saturday morning, and tonight, it is done.
I speak of the Christmas tree, the last remaining bit of Christmas that needed to be installed in the home. Brian likes to give me a hard time about how I "hate real trees" and never let him "buy a real one," but this is where Brian fibs continually just to piss me off. I love a fresh Christmas tree (not at all a "green" philosophy, but some things just are what they are). They smell wonderful, and just look so pretty. This year's tree lot was not quite as convenient as last year's, but still, it was within a mile of the house, making it wicked convenient anyways, and a free delivery, which is good because this is our first year without an SUV at our disposal.
A Christmas tree timeline:
Tree and extra lights were purchased on Saturday morning.
Tree arrived Saturday at lunchtime.
Lights were finished early Saturday night.
Customary debating about whether we had the energy or motivation to hang the ornaments on the tree Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Ornaments hung on the tree Sunday afternoon.
While Sydney was a participant in the lighting, we did all the ornaments while she napped. We did not need that kind of help with all the breakable ornaments and pokey hooks. Right now though, the tree is beautiful. And we're done with everything Christmas decorations-related.
What's next on the agenda is usually something I'm well into at this time of year: shopping. Sydney and I will hit the mall tomorrow to visit Santa, but also to start our canvassing of the preferred holiday shopping stores. She's a bit of an anchor on trips like this, which is why the majority of my shopping will actually be done on Tuesday and Thursday this week while she's at school. This subterfuge, I believe, does not make me a bad mother, instead it makes me a more efficient shopper. And that's what the holidays are about, right?