The Tree Search
December 4, 2007
It was 15 degrees outside and therefore the perfect temperature to go searching for a Christmas tree, like the rest of the Christmas celebrating, tree chopping down, don’t care about the environment, put the tree too early, buy into the mass consumerism, unenlightened world. Oh wait, I think the last one was only directed at me. But feel free to apply it to yourself if you want.
We have been going to the same place for 12 years. They don’t have the nicest looking trees. They aren’t trimmed up to perfection. They are like the wild tree farm, if there were such a thing.
Every year the pickings get slimmer and slimmer. We wonder how much longer the little tree place will be there. They charge $70 less, yes LESS, than the other local tree places. But most people like to grab their perfect trees off of a wooden stand and have someone else drag it and tie to their roof. We, on the other hand, have to bring our own saw. And yes we do feel smugly superior about it.
We tie a tag with our name printed on it in black Sharpie marker. Explain to the children that no, we can not move someone else’s tag off of their tree and put our tag on it. Yes, even if their tree is nicer than the one we picked. It is short and fat, but maybe this year we can fit the angel on the top of the tree without her leaning over like Quasimodo.
We hug the tree and say goodbye. We will come back for it next weekend.
My oldest son wants it known that he wore this hat, gloves, and had his coat zipped under duress. Really he is much to cool to do any of those things. But I forced him because 15 degrees could make your ears and fingertips fall off.
Dammit I am way too busy to be running people to the emergency room. And Lord knows, the rest of the free world is probably already there.
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What great pictures! Looks like you all had an enjoyable time despite the cold temps. Pretty tree, too! It’s probably not too small, it’s always so much bigger when you put it in the house. Ours usually resembles a bowling ball, never looks that round until it’s in my living room! Your older son looks great with his hat and coat zipped, wish I could get my two to zip theirs. (or actually WEAR theirs) Since when did wearing a coat make you un-cool? I don’t get it!
December 4th, 2007 at 10:31 amMy boys do the same things with their coats. I don’t get it. It is freezing out, but how on Earth could I possible expect them to wear a hat?? They even went as far as unzipping the ones that came on their coats and “losing” them!
December 4th, 2007 at 10:40 amMy daughter is 10 1/2 and still willingly wears her snow pants to school, despite teasing from her peers. We had a nice snowfall this past weekend (6″) and she was quite smug that after recess yesterday, she was one of the only kids whose pants were dry! I’m hoping that she remains practical at least for another school year, until she enters 7th grade (when there is no recess).
I guess there is one other kid who wears appropriate weather gear in her age group, but he wears a full on snow suit. My daughter thought THAT was weird.
December 4th, 2007 at 10:55 amI love your photos - what fun to go pick a tree! We HAVE to go to the forest tree hunting - I just can’t bring myself to get a tree from a lot. We pay $10 to the forest service for a permit to chop down a tree. Then we drive 40 minutes up into the mountains to the “Christmas Tree Cutting Area” - yes, they actually have an area. It’s an area that needs to be thinned . . . and you can only cut trees that are 6″ or less in diameter. And no topping - HUGE fines if you’re caught topping. Because they are wild forest trees, they are not very full, but it sure is fun to hike around the forest and pick your own tree and haul it home. And the MONSTER sledding hill right before we leave the Tree Area is a blast!
December 4th, 2007 at 10:55 am70 dollars less? I’m trying to understand what that statement means. Does that mean there are lunatics out there that pay more than a hundred dollars for a Christmas tree? Why? Don’t you have a Home Depot up there? We get ours for 20 dollars. And really, the experience is the same (we visited a tree farm once when we were in Rhode Island) - you walk up and down rows of trees, freezing to death (Home Depot keeps theirs outside), and argue about which one is best. Only we don’t get to chop ours down at the store. But, for 20 dollars, that’s okay.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:00 amGee I didn’t realize how much fun I was missing because we pull our (artificial) tree out of a plastic bin every year.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:04 amkaren,
YES, you read that correctly. I can’t think of one place that sells a tree for $20. Even the HD.
Katie,
A part of me would really like an artificial tree. The part that hates to vacuum up needles for 6 months and never remembers to water the poor thing
December 4th, 2007 at 11:09 amI want the wee little tree. That’d be perfect for a warm little nook in my house. PERFECT.
Tell your son he is mighty handsome all bundled up and that he shouldn’t fret. Frostbite is sooooo not attractive. About as attractive as gangrene or brown recluse spider bites.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:13 amTell your son that my mom makes me wear stuff like ponchos made from old secondhand wool blankets, he don’t have it so bad.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:21 amIn Massachusetts we had snow yesterday and no school. My oldest walked to the bank — sneakers, no socks and shorts . . . he did have on a coat and a baseball hat? He was surprised a few people honked their horns. To be soo cool at 13.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:22 amWhat is it with sons and the reluctance to properly bundle for cold weather? I had my son run into a store the other day to return a video. He had a jacket on in the car, but had to TAKE IT OFF to go into the video store. He was THAT afraid of being sighted with a coat on.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:23 amI’m confused about the part where you leave the tree there for a week?? You’ll have to forgive my ignorance but around here a tree farm grows palm trees….
December 4th, 2007 at 11:26 amI just found your blog today, and i LOVE it! I laughed so hard at your “thousands of hillbillies can’t be wrong” photo opportunity. Hilarious!
I have five children (two newly adopted in September). I’m looking for more large family blogs. Could you please email me if you know any? Thanks so very much, and nice job on your blog ;o)
-Esther
December 4th, 2007 at 11:29 amOK, at almost 1/2 century old, I remember what it was like as a teenager to be too cool to wear a jacket on cold days. Surely I’m not the only one!! No mittens or hats required in Florida, but we do have the occasional cool enough for a jacket day.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:36 amBossy concurs — a sure sign of maturity must be giving it up to hats and gloves.
December 4th, 2007 at 11:57 amFortunately good sense can return. My 15.5 year old boy finally conceded to the temperature change and requested a new coat– underneath he wears a hoodie and at least carries his hat & gloves stashed in his coat. And actually wears them sometimes, I hope, I hope! You need to be warm when you’re hanging out in front of Starbucks. Endlessly.
December 4th, 2007 at 12:17 pmI’ve been telling my boys for months that they have used up their emergency-room visit allowance for 2007 (3 visits between them). It has a surprisingly postive affect on compliance with regard to things like wearing warm clothes and not leaping from the furniture.
December 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm$70 Less than other places? What an earth makes them worth that much? I live in Western MA not far from the CT border and the beautiful tree we chopped down ourselves only cost us $50 (maybe you should take a drive our way next year).
December 4th, 2007 at 12:32 pmIt does look like fun. Well, kind of. We actually did something similar when we lived in the USA (Colorado Springs) for two years, back when our boys were small. Only I stayed at home and kept warm
We had enough snow in those years to last us a lifetime.
December 4th, 2007 at 12:42 pmMy 17-year-old step-son bundled up on Sunday in a skull cap, hoodie with the hood up, and a light ski jacket, but he refused gloves — gloves are not cool. Never mind that you can’t feel the steering wheel as you drive and you’re just going from our house to your mom’s house, gloves are not cool!
Thus far the live potted tree experiment has limited watering needs and needles dropped. Provided I give it a good soak once a week, I think we’ll make it through the Christmas season in decent shape. Check out my post today about our Christmas traditions, and give us more of yours. I do so envy you small children who still believe in Santa and want gifts other than money!
December 4th, 2007 at 12:52 pmThen again, I notice that Dad is sans hat and gloves. Where could they learn it?
I’ve bought a tiny little rosemary tree. I’m not going to be able to stand it in the house, it is so strongly scented, but it will look pretty lit up on our porch.
December 4th, 2007 at 1:43 pmWhen I lived near Boulder we drove up a bit into the mountains (not far, just a bit) and paid I think $15 for a short hike to find a tree. My kids always choose a slightly sad tree, because who else will take it home and love it?
Age 12 = I am too cool to wear hats/gloves/a coat, at least, apparently, in my house. It’s like somebody flipped a switch, took away my little boy, and left this tall bershon boy-man in his place.
[sigh]
December 4th, 2007 at 1:51 pmAnd I thought when they get older they’ll have more sense about having their coats zipped and hat and gloves on…
December 4th, 2007 at 1:59 pmOMG my 14-y-o son is the SAME WAY. Of course, we live in Memphis so it doesn’t get down to 15 all that often. Still, even in the low-30s and high 20s, he REFUSES to wear anything but a pullover hoodie sweatshirt. He won’t wear the hood, of course, but he will wear knit caps if he’s selected them himself. God forbid I should buy him one that wasn’t “cool.”
December 4th, 2007 at 2:04 pmI have that same fight daily with my oldest ( who is only 6). So does that mean that they don’t decide to zip up, and wear their gloves and hats on their own anytime soon?
December 4th, 2007 at 2:13 pmi love seeing photos of your oldest and your youngest. it is so sweet!
December 4th, 2007 at 2:13 pmI know my husband had on gloves, he took them off to tie the tag on the tree. And he did have his coat zipped.
Not sure what happened to his hat. I shall scold him.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pmYour oldest is going to be a darn good daddy some day! And considering how much he looks like his daddy, he’s going to be a hottie daddy too!
December 4th, 2007 at 2:35 pmWhere the heck are these places that charge only $20 for a tree? We usually pay between $40-$60. AND we ALWAYS get the one that most resembles a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. You know, one that is tall, skinny and uneven with lopsided and missing branches. They are my favorite.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pmYour kids are just gorgeous. And I curse our fake tree daily. I want a real one; one we killed ourselves. But no, we bought a fake, plastic, pre-lit tree from WAL-MART and it makes my husband happy and me want to cry.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:11 pmChristmas trees are such a rip. Most people get one so they can charge whatever price they want for them. We get ours for anywhere from $45-$65 around here.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:24 pmWhat is it with teenage boys? my son tried to go to school with shorts and a t shirt on today. With no coat. And it was 34 outside. His reasoning was he would only be outside for a little while, he could stand it. (head shaking)
I live in Arizona and have also NEVER came across a real tree for $20 and trust me, the trees here should be priced at that because the poor things are all dried and pretty close to a fire hazard due to sitting outside in our lovely warm Christmas tree lots. I winced at your $70 dollars less statement. Wow.
I had to laugh at your son not wanting to bundle up. I have the same problem here, just different climates. I had to convince my 10 year old that LOVES winter so much, that he didnt need to wear the sweater, scarf and hat to go grocery shopping last night in our bone chilling 75 degree weather.
December 4th, 2007 at 10:31 pmIt’s not just boys, I remember going around in an unzipped windbreaker in winter myself. Of course, no shivering or hunching shoulders is allowed either, because it might look like you’re actually feeling the cold, then.
You have to shop trees in wooded, economically depressed areas. Here they run $20-60 (we go for the cheap end, ourselves). Some acquaintances sell $10 trees to friends last time I checked, but they’re sparsely limbed wild-grown trees. If I went another 45 minutes northeast of here, I could probably find some $15 trees.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:05 amSo cute all bundled up! I like the look on your teen sons face- priceless. We are those people who buy the tree already cut. We used to cut our own, but C’mon it’s Michigan and it’s been freezing rain- with 4 kids under 6- no thanks. Thankfully we have a big truck and just toss it in there and go. This is a great time of year!
December 5th, 2007 at 10:25 amMy 12 year old has been too cool for a hatr coat and gloves for years now. Granted this is Texas, but my child is the one at the bus stop in shits and a sweater when it’s 30 degrees out.
I am the mother telling said child that anything below 45 means he HAS to weaar pants - even if it will be 60 in the afternoon when he comes home
December 5th, 2007 at 12:00 pmTell your son the 15 yr old in me feels his pain, but the mother that I am now agrees with his mother.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:21 amMiles’ Jester hat may be the cutest thing I have ever seen. Really, about to pass out from the cuteness
December 6th, 2007 at 6:58 pmI love that last one of your oldest and your youngest. That’s so sweet that the oldest SEEMS to love his little brother in the pictures. I’m sure he really does though, because, after all, who can’t love your youngest?
December 7th, 2007 at 10:42 am