December 20th 2010 9:32 pm
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Yesterday Mom draped our living room in strings of colorful lights, and wrapped lights all around our little artificial Xmas tree (Mom calls it our "everlasting Yule shrub"). I was interested! I watched closely to make sure Mom did a good job, and I made a few aesthetic suggestions, which Mom wisely followed -- mostly. She had to rearrange one string of lights because Skeeter was chewing on it, and I had told her not to hang lights along the banister where Skeeter could reach them to begin with. Next time I bet she will listen to my advice, MOL!

Then Mom got a big box from the closet. A box! I love boxes! Then it got even better! Mom started taking out little crinkly bundles of colorful tissue paper and unwrapping that wonderful crinkly paper to reveal *gasp!* pretty shiny sparkly things! Of course I had to supervise this operation.

"Mom," I said, jumping onto the coffee table where Mom was carefully arranging the sparkly baubles, "some of these ornaments look very fragile. Perhaps I should test their durability by knocking them onto the floor?"

Mom declined my offer, for some reason.

"In that case," I suggested, "how about I sit in this box lid, to keep it from flying away, in case there is an earthquake or something?"

Mom agreed that this would be a big help. So I made sure the box lid didn't fly away until dinner time. Plus, while I was making sure the box lid didn't fly away, I gave Mom advice about where each ornament should go on the tree. It is a good thing I am such an efficient multi-tasker!

So now, with my assistance, the holidays have officially arrived at our house! Mom is done with the thing she calls "final exams" ... she calls them final, but they have been happening twice a year for a few years now, so, I'm just saying, where's the "final"? ... And that means that the books are (temporarily) put away, the tree and the lights are up, and there is shiny paper and ribbon everywhere! Even though there are not many presents this year, we are all feeling merry! Mom says the best present is love, and we sure have plenty of that!