Audrey and Antonino just love Christmas trees. At home, they
demand that we "Turn on tree!" (meaning the lights) even in the
morning. Once the lights are turned on, they stare at it for a few seconds then
try to grab the branches and ornaments. Yikes! My mom (aka LaMom) suggested
that we put up a toddler-proof tree in the twins' playroom so I searched the
internet for options. I found a lot of cute ideas but most of them required
plenty of DIY tasks that I didn't have enough time for. So imagine my joy when
after a few days, LaMom surprised Audrey and Antonino with a kiddie-sized
Christmas tree! Actually, it wasn't just any tree. It was the Christmas tree
she bought for me when I was 4 years old! She even let me decorate it on my
own. I remember putting cotton on the branches because I wanted a winter
wonderland-themed tree. How cool is it that now Audrey and Antonino can
decorate my kiddie tree?
Our theme for the twins' tree was of course Mickey Mouse.
The tree was already missing its legs so we just stuck it on a piece of foam
and put it inside a round plastic container. To make it toddler-proof, we
didn't put lights and we used non-breakable ornaments (Mickey Mouse-shaped
appliques) which we tied to the tree with ribbons. It was the perfect solution
for Audrey and Antonino. They loved rearranging the ornaments and I loved how
we could sit and watch them without having to worry about them hurting
themselves if something broke. We were able to relax! It was a Christmas
miracle! Until Antonino discovered he could remove the tree from the pot...
... and
shake it. I think at this point he was just trying to show off to his uncles who were
visiting.
Maybe next year we'll just
get a small plush Christmas tree for the playroom. The one with all the trimmings sewn on. Wishing you all a wonderful
Christmas!
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