The Adventures of the Miller Family Christmas Tree

Assembly of the Miller Family Christmas tree used to be rather uneventful process.

 Not anymore.

You see, this is the first Christmas that Snuggles is old enough to "help" with putting up the tree. 

While this was going on, I was in the kitchen fixing supper. I came out briefly to find this...

"The tree looks great!" you say.  Yes. Yes it does... only it's the wrong tree!  This is the "skinny tree" we purchased several years ago when our living room was too small for our tree.  But the skinny tree looked very puny in our current space, so poor Guitarman had to put away the skinny tree, go back down to the basement, and pull out the big tree.  He was less than excited.

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Two
(Note: At 1:18 Snuggles says "Christmas tree!")

After Snuggles helped take the branches out of the box, he sat on them.

Snuggles was so excited about the Christmas tree assembly process
that he insisted on helping put each branch on the tree...

... which, of course, means the process of assembling the tree took forever!

So we managed to put the tree together, but that was the only thing we accomplished the first night. 

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Three

(The next night, we managed to get the lights on the tree.)

 Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Four
(The next night, we got the decorations on the tree.)



Right after I finished recording the video, Snuggles threw an ornament, and this happened.

 So we decided to put Snuggles to bed, and finish decorating the tree without him.
(I know, I know. We're party poopers. But we wanted to get the tree up before Christmas!)

Miller Family Christmas Tree: Take Five

When Snuggles woke up the next morning, we let him put the star on top of the tree.

[Yes, Guitarman is wearing Elmo pajama pants. Snuggles loves to be matchy-matchy with Daddy.]

And for the final touch...  Guitarman hung Taco's collar on the tree.

 I find it fitting (and surprisingly comforting)
that a little part of Taco will be with us this Christmas.