Oh Christmas Tree . . . Why did you die so soon?

We bought our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. We wanted to maximize the short Christmas season. Unfortunately, our tree died last week and now looks like we should chop it up and burn it after a very long and heartfelt apology for torturing it. Apparently you are supposed to water them! (Just kidding; you aren't).
I was trying to post some lovely shots of our tree in all its splendor, but of course the tiny image I viewed when selecting shots made it difficult to detect the massive clutter and toy debris all around our tree. And the reflection of the tv screen in the window. In my memory we decorated to Christmas carols! Oh well.
Willsie has been obsessed with the "ball! ball!" ornaments. He couldn't hang them up on the tree, much to his distress, but was highly skilled at removing the little hanger piece that is built into the ornament. My mom and I had more trouble than little Will. Our tree is now naked from Willsie's reach down.
I am waiting for the rest to just fall off the dead dead dead and drooping limbs.
My method of testing whether a specific ornament was glass or plastic--banging it against a hard surface--diminished our supply. At least Will got a thrill out of lots of vacuuming.
Will's favorite spot in the house for a few weeks now. I think this early death has given me a good argument for having two trees each year: one fake and one real. Which gives me an even better argument for having a house big enough to justify that. It totally makes sense.

Merry Christmas, Ladies (and other possible titles to rejected Christmas card entries)

I gave it one night in front of my sister's Christmas tree to get a card-worthy photo of the family. This might have been the best of the bunch, mainly bc it is the funniest. I think the confusion a card featuring only this photo would have generated would have outweighed the humor of it, so we ended up just choosing one of the boys from a month ago. Here are the other contenders:"Merry Christmas! Will just watched a neat video that we have enclosed with our card! Please view! Love, the Cannons"

The first of these was rejected because it was not my best photo, and that is the most important consideration. The second photo was taken after Andrew had watched The Ring video, so his face was too smeared.

I am moderately satisfied with our Christmas card this year, but I resolve to do better next year. At least Brig has a nice new profile pic for his LDS Singles account.

Will Adams

Will's hair had been described as "colonial," as opposed to simply, "a mullett."

Cannon cuts are typically performed in the tub. I guess when it comes down to it, I care more about the clean-up than the success of the cut itself. That is how Andrew ended up with "steps," as Brigham called what I did, cut into the sides of his hair once. Now Brig takes him to Hair Cuttery.

He is left with some Orthodox Jewish locks on the sides, but the overall result is good. I just hate cutting my boys' hair. It has to get really ugly before I can admit that it is too long.



I would just like to add the the shorts Andrew is wearing here are size 6-9 months. Since they have a number on them, they are "team shorts" and are much-loved. He wore them over his jeans last week when I refused to let him go out in the 40 degree weather without long pants. At first my layering suggestion was heartily accepted. A moment later, he commented that it would be "weird." Then he just did it.