The night the lights went out

       Ever since the kids have been old enough we've had a definite division of labor when it comes to putting up our Christmas tree.  We all go out together to the local nursery on the corner - find a tree, hopefully in 15 mins or less and get home before anyone can cry, get mad, get bored or pinch someone!  Once we get home, John and Zack unload the tree and get it into the stand, Brenna is in charge of lights and I generally make the emergency light trip to Target to replace the lights that WORKED when we packed them away, but at the whim of the almighty Light Gods, refuse to work now.  Brenna and Zack divide up the ornaments so that each can hang their favorite ones until they get bored or the lure of their electronics call to them and they wander off. I stand by and hang the Island of Misfit ornaments that no one wants to hang but still deserve to be on the tree.  Finally, I bribe the kids to please come down and help me hang the beads.  Usually, only Brenna feels guilty enough to help; Zack sometimes wanders through the living room and will toss a bead strand or two on the tree if I beg.  It's our system and it works for us.  At the end, we all gather to admire our beautiful tree.
        When it's time to take the tree down, everyone gathers together and we work like a well-oiled machine and get that tree taken down in a flash, there might even be singing....NOT! When it's time to take down the tree, it's like a ghost town in our house. But in all honesty, I don't really mind taking the tree down and putting everything away.  There's organizing and tidying and often throwing out of things, all of which make my soul happy.  Except for one thing....THE LIGHTS!  Oh the FREAKING LIGHTS!  I don't know what kind of messed up logic Brenna uses when she puts those lights on the tree and I don't know if she is consciously or unconsciously fucking with me, but those lights could not be any more tangled if she was winning a money prize!!  There is NO WAY to get those lights out of the tree without using an axe, scissors or a hacksaw.  I'm just so thankful that I no longer have little ears listening around corners!  I also think it is very interesting that Brenna always seems to disappear, this time she jetted off to Brazil, so I can't even text her to complain!  Smart Girl! :o)