We decided not to put up our tree this year. 

No, we're not protesting Christmas and how commercial everything has become.  I'm ALL about presents and spending money around Christmastime.  Although, I do wish that stores would wait until after Thanksgiving to start with all the damn Christmas marketing and music...especially since they started in on it all just after Halloween this year.  We have a better reason for not putting up the tree.

We are leaving for our 3 week Aruba vacation in 11 days and will be there for Christmas.  I know, you hate me.  I understand. 

Before you get stuck on the glamorous images of Margaritas by the poolside on Christmas day, remember that I have a 5 and a 2 year old.  We have traditions that we will not be able to pull off this year.  Unless I cut down a divi divi tree and lug it into our house, I'm thinking that the closest we'll get to a Christmas tree is to put lights on one of our outdoor palm trees.  How do I explain the lack of a fireplace?  The reindeer always leave a trail of little chocolate kisses from the kids' bedrooms leading them to their stockings in front of the fire place.  Where will the stockings go...and will the chocolate melt before the kids wake up?

I'm starting to have anxiety over ruining the mystery of Christmas for our extremely observant 5 year old.  If Santa doesn't make it to our house in Aruba instead of up here in NH, I'm sure there will be years of therapy to endure.  If Santa's helper exposes the packed gifts that need to remain unwrapped until we arrive due to airline security, well, we're pretty much screwed.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm really excited to go to Aruba.  I do really, really hate the snow and cold...BUT, I'm starting to feel a longing for our tree and other decorations.  Our ornaments are mostly sentimental.  Our angel for the top of the tree was made with material from my Grammy's shirt that she wore at my wedding.  She passed away a few years ago.  Our house is the only one on our street not lit up at night.  Princess even pointed that out last night.  It's just too much to decorate when we're not even going to be here.

I found this tree thing online while doing research for work today.  It doesn't quite count as decorating my tree with all of the sentimental ornaments and such.  But, it's cute, so I thought I'd share.  Enjoy.

I miss my tree, our outside lights and displaying our incoming Christmas cards.  I'm sad that I'm not decorating my tree with Princess, while explaining the importance of each ornament.

What are some of your favorite traditions that you'd miss if you went somewhere else for the holidays? 

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