Christmas In March

Thomas: Since we were taking a break at Christmas time, I thought that we would take this opportunity to tell (and show) you why we don't get to have a Christmas tree anymore. Well, Phoebe and I celebrated our first Christmas about 8 months or so after our Gotcha Day. We were getting well aquainted with the workings of the household and knew what we could and couldn't do around the house. Crazy Lady and D.C. never once suspected that we would do anything to the Christmas tree - and we didn't!!! They used to put up an 8' live tree in the den. This was decorated with all their lovely ornaments that they had collected over the years. Then Crazy Lady also put up a 4' artificial tree in the kitchen which was decorated with objects from nature and the garden. Then, maybe her favorite tree was the little 2' tree in the gallery which was decorated with her Mother and Father's first Christmas ornaments from when they set up housekeeping in the 1930's and also her collection of "Made in Japan" tiny porcelain bells which she had inherited from a close friend of the family.

Phoebe: Crazy Lady also put out her collection of 1940's and 1950's hard plastic Santa candy holders (about 50 of those) and her light up china Christmas houses. The house always looked so festive and pretty. Thomas and I knew not to bother anything!!! Then in 2006, Beatrix came along. Well, that's Trixie's real name, but she's no Beatrix - she's a TRIXIE!!!! Anyway, Crazy Lady was sort of suspicious that if anyone was going to mess with the trees, it would be Trixie. So, she decided to do things a little different that year. She put up the 4' artificial tree in the den and had D.C. and the Big Boy clamp it down to an oak chest so that Trixie couldn't tip it over.

And, she only put non-breakable ornaments on it. Didn't it look pretty?

They decorated it late one afternoon, had company that night for dinner and, when they got up the next morning, here's what they found:

Yes, that tree was stripped!!! Did you know that a cat could take lights off a tree????

Trixie: Well, in self-defense. . . . I don't remember ever hearing anyone saying not to touch the Christmas tree!!! Honest!!! I was just trying to make it look nice and got kind of carried away!

Thomas: Now we get to have a wreath on the door and stockings on the mantle . . . . . and that's all! Crazy Lady and D.C. say that she's too cute to kill - so, we put up with her.

Phoebe: I'm not so sure that she's too cute to kill. . . .