Yes, I know New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day have all come and gone since Christmas. I am aware there is only one week left in February. But it was in fact, just today that the last of my Christmas decorations finally found their way into their new home. Though I love Christmas and usually leave the house decorated at least through the first week of January, this year I actually took the tree down right after Christmas, for extremely selfish reasons. It was residing in the space my recliner usually occupies. My recliner had been banished to the far corner of the younger boys bedroom and was begging to be replanted in it’s proper place.
Why then did the decorations just get put away today? Well, I will not lie, I have been known to procrastinate about such things in the past. However, this year it is due to a sequence of events. More correctly it is due to a sort of musical chairs our large family frequently “plays”. You see in August, my oldest son married the girl of his dreams. They came back from their honeymoon and loaded their car. They were ready to start off on their own adventures together in the world. Then real life, as it often does, threw them a curve ball. They received an e-mail stating they could not live where they had planned to live. To make a long story short, they unloaded the car and moved back in here in what has been my son’s “bedroom” since he was 17. Then February first, they were able to move out to begin life together, apart from us : )
This meant, for the first time since we have been married, my husband has a man cave. Our garage had been converted into living space by the previous owner. Thus my husband had stored his tools, computer parts and other man cave belongings in our bedroom and the front foyer closet. This weekend the process of emptying much of our master bedroom and the front foyer closet was finally finished. Only after this process was complete was I able to put the Christmas decorations, which were nicely packed and stacked in our kitchen and dining room all this time, into their new permanent home – the front foyer closet!
I am sure there will be another round of musical chairs before all six children leave home. But for now, my husband has his man cave. My son and his wife have some independence and privacy. I have a much-needed storage and coat closet. Everyone, including the Christmas decorations, is happy with their newly acquired space.
© Machelle Baker 2014
Machelle is a native Texan who values liberty. She has homeschooled six of her children at some point during their educational experience. She continues to home educate the youngest two. One way she expresses her passion for helping others is as a Crisis Chaplain. Some of the disasters to which she has deployed and ministered at are: the Bastrop, TX wildfire (2011), the West, TX plant explosion (2013), the Moore, OK F5 tornado (2013), and the Central Texas flood (October 2013), the Memorial Day Blanco River flood (2015), Hurricane Harvey (2017), the Sutherland Springs church shooting (2017), and most recently the El Paso Wal-Mart shooting (2019). She also currently serves a Regional Deputy Commander for the International Fellowship of Chaplains.
February 20, 2014 @ 9:27 am
I am always late to get things out, and late to put things away… Hey at least we are festive, and we take time to reflect and celebrate the season..
Meeghan recently posted…What is a word ladder? How can it help your beginning reader?
February 20, 2014 @ 12:22 pm
Me too Meeghan, well not always…but in general ::) We do enjoy the season also. Thanks for stopping by.
Machelle recently posted…Valentine’s Day: A Change in Perspective
February 20, 2014 @ 11:29 am
We “repurpose” rooms a couple of times a year as children move out, back in, company comes, etc. I feel blessed that we have the options!
February 20, 2014 @ 12:24 pm
For the last few years our household has included 10-15 people. Thus the room shuffle has been a regular occurrence in our home also. Thanks for stopping by Karen!
Machelle recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions
February 20, 2014 @ 11:58 am
I always hate to put away the Christmas decorations. Our home always seems so empty and blah after being so full and festive. My kids asked this year if we could just leave them up, but we ended up taking them down mid-January.
Kim recently posted…Treasures From Across the Pond
February 20, 2014 @ 3:04 pm
I hate to put them away too! I usually end up doing it in stages – the tree, the garland, the living room etc. That way it isn’t all bare at once : ) Thanks for stopping by.
Machelle recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions: Saying “Yes”
February 20, 2014 @ 4:48 pm
I still have the star from my Christmas tree sitting on my kitchen bench, so I feel your pain. My husband packed everything away into the roof and I cannot be bothered getting into the roof, getting the box out just to put one star away. I could pretend I am super early for 4th July celebrations but I am in New Zealand! I do have my Valentines decorations still up too. Looking forward to getting my Easter ones up!
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February 21, 2014 @ 8:04 pm
Lauren, I usually find stray decorations also. However this year everything was in containers in the kitchen long enough that I think all the stray things found their place before the containers were put away.. Thanks for stopping by!
Machelle recently posted…Valentine’s Day: A Change in Perspective
February 20, 2014 @ 8:42 pm
Congrats on getting all of your Christmas decorations put away. LOL I usually find a decoration or 2 that I missed during our clean up still hanging around in February, and I don’t have all the reasons you had for still having some decorations out. I hope your hubby enjoys his new man-cave, your newlyweds enjoy their new place (and privacy), and you enjoy your storage space.
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February 21, 2014 @ 8:09 pm
Thanks TaMara. Now when I find stray decorations I can put them away easily! I will definitely enjoy my new space.
Machelle recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions: Saying “Yes”
February 21, 2014 @ 7:03 am
I can specifically remember one year where I had ours up in April!!! I shocked even myself ~ so I definitely understand curve balls that life throws in your lap. 🙂 Glad you finally got some extra space to put things in!
Jenn@TeachingTwoStinkers recently posted…Frugal Living Challenge ~ Once A Month Grocery Shopping
February 21, 2014 @ 8:10 pm
Thanks Jenn. I usually get them put away later than most people. However this year I had good reasons : ) Thanks for stopping by.
Machelle recently posted…Valentine’s Day: A Change in Perspective
February 21, 2014 @ 2:52 pm
I like your game of musical chairs. I often play that at my house but never thought to call it that 😉 Congratulations to your family on the marriage of your son!
Thank you for linking-up today at Beauty Observed!
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February 21, 2014 @ 8:12 pm
Thank you Elizabeth! Musical chairs is a constant game with our large family and my disorganizational skills : )
Machelle recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions
February 21, 2014 @ 8:12 pm
Oh boy. I make a habit of putting them up the day after Thanksgiving and taking them down on New Year’s Day. Makes it easy for us. #BYB100
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February 21, 2014 @ 8:18 pm
Yes, habits are great, aren’t they? We usually put them up the day after Thanksgiving. We take them down the 1st or 2nd week in January…at least that’s the plan : ) Thanks for stopping by!
Machelle recently posted…Looking Beyond the Surface: 100 Day Blog Challenge
February 22, 2014 @ 1:27 am
I procrastinate about things like that too! I currently have a laundry room full of outgrown clothes that I must sort out but have been putting it off for several months now! Lovely to hear about your family and the stage of life you have reached this year.
Thanks for linking up at Essential Fridays.
Blessings
Mel from Essential Thing Devotions
melcaldicott recently posted…The Bible – All I Need Every Day & Essential Fridays #35
February 23, 2014 @ 6:24 pm
Outgrown clothes…um yes those lovely creatures : ) Thanks for stopping by!
Machelle recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions: Saying “Yes”
February 24, 2014 @ 9:26 pm
I sometimes leave things that need to be done a bit late too. We barely got the Christmas stuff taken down in our yard the other day when the snow finally melted enough to pull them out of the ground, I have to say it drove me crazy, but now I am glad we have them out of the yard. Now if I can just get the energy to take the lights off the bushes too:) maybe this weekend, lol….
Sounds like your family has some awesome new spaces, enjoy!!!
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February 28, 2014 @ 10:57 pm
Kristy, I am so glad to have the Christmas stuff down and put away! We are enjoying our new spaces, thanks!
Machelle recently posted…Laundry Leviathan
February 25, 2014 @ 7:15 am
I am always late with getting christmas decorations down. In fact, I still have a few up right now. With the kids being sick during January and February, things just get put on hold. I did get the outdoor lights down this past weekend since we had a really warm day here.
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February 28, 2014 @ 11:00 pm
Monique, I pray your children are recovered and enjoying the warmer weather. Sick children put everything on hold – and that’s how it should be. Take care.
Machelle recently posted…Laundry Leviathan