I am getting there. Already had one Christmas meal with the Finnish community and getting ready to make some piparkakku and joulutorttu on Sunday. With the kids so no idea if we will actually have any at Christmas ;). Kids got to meet Santa during the community gathering and it actually took a while for J to get that it wasn't the real Christmas yet.
Today we put up the (plastic)tree. I ended up getting the plastic one because even though the real ones are available I doubt if they would survive 2 days in this heat.
My guide to getting the tree ready:
1) hesitate for weeks whether or not to buy a real tree then get a lucky strike and get a plastic one for 12€.
2) put up the tree and realize it's tiny. Build some leverage with cosmetics metal boxes that are lying around: hey who needs those extra tooth brushes at Christmas??
3) put up the lights that you have dragged couple of thousand kilometers to realize that most of them are dead. Take them down to place only the lit ones one the tree. Find one of the missing bulbs and blug it in, and have another 10 lights working. So take them down and put them up the third time.
4) invite the kids to decorate. Re-place the ones that hmm... Are in the wrong spot (not being OCD but 4 ornaments on a single branch is a bit excessive)
5) sing carols and decorate (J's idea)
6) quickly grab some pictures because it's all over in 3 mins
7) admire the work
I still have to hunt for the star but hey, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
What makes your Christmas?
P.S. Small Xmas miracle, the boys only fought after the tree was decorated and done. :)
