Look, but don't touch

Despite a pretty steadfast rule of no Christmas til at least December (and usually until after Brad's bday-- so that he gets his proper due), we broke down and got the tree on Sunday. Really, I just wanted it done before the baby came. Plus, I AM trying to rush the holidays this year... the quicker they come, the quicker this kid comes!

Anyway, the tree is gorgeous (are they ever not?) and Annie was a very good girl while we were putting it up and decorating it. BUT, it took her all of about 20 minutes to realize that the tree was possibly the coolest toy she'd ever seen, and a giant thing with branches full of trinkets to play with was really too much to pass up. We of course tried to reason with the tiny 17 month old child, but that was not happening. After chasing her for half an hour and trying to outwit her devilish plans to hijack yet another ornament, we decided something had to be done. And, short of locking Annie out of the living room for the next month (which seemed slightly over the top), we opted for plastic! A la Grandma's sofa set covered in plastic to protect it from the rotten kids, we put up a plastic barrier in front of the tree so she can't get to it anymore. It does slightly take away from the ambiance of it all, but are you really allowed ambiance when you have a toddler in the house anyway? Ambiance schambiance- at least we have a tree and this big ol preggie is no longer spending all her time chasing a little monster with an ornament obsession...

Tree post-plasticization 

(definitely could be worse... in the right light, you can't even see it)