Ways my parents scarred me... FOR LIFE.. 2

Last time we talked about Teh Dad scarring me for life by making me self-conscious about my slurping when I eat cereal...  This time I figured we'd have a Teh Mom round.

Honestly, this was much more difficult for me that ways Teh Dad scarred me.  Which is strange really, cause we were with Teh Mom more (I mean, if you're counting minutes.. and considering Teh Dad is a workaholic).  Or maybe it was the fact that all the ways I could think of Teh Mom scarring me weren't really laughable.  Which was slightly unfortunate.   But I found something that my Gentle Readers will appreciate, hopefully.

Teh Mom was a seasonal decorate-er.  I mean, this isn't a rare thing for women to be, but sometimes Teh Mom took it to the extreme... and by sometimes I mean, she's currently trying to control her Christmas obsession, but I'm not so sure how that's workin' out for her.  Let me explain.

Circa 2-4th grade?
Wee Teh Megan is really a cutie.

We always had seasonal decorations.  We didn't really do New Year decorations, as our Christmas decorations were semi-permanent (which I'll explain more in a bit).  February was filled with birthday decorations (for me) and maybe some hearts.  March included a cake for Teh Dad and at least a reminder to wear green on St. Patrick's Day.  Palm Sunday every year meant a replacement to the palm crosses that were on the walls.  There was a palm cross for each daughter at least.  In the dining room, one wall was photos of Teh Sister and one wall was photos of me.  Easter held ceramic rabbits, easter baskets for Teh Sister and I filled with all the best goodies (Disney movies>candy).  We didn't really have spring decorations or summer decorations.  We celebrated 4th of July by going to see fireworks usually.

But the big deals started once school started in the fall.  Fall brought card stock leaves on the walls and doors, leafy candle rings, carved pumpkins (which was probably more for Teh Sister and I), a glass pumpkin to hold our Halloween candy in, and ghost figurines.. since fall typically morphed into Halloween.  Halloween was cleared to make way for a few cornucopias which didn't last very long since Christmas decorations were the biggest deal of all.  Half of my closet was devoted to Christmas decorations.  The tree, the ornaments, the lights, the Christmas scene, the nativities..  The most serious decorating business was for Christmas.  Every year.  It was pretty much tradition.

Teh Sister and I were pretty big on helping decorate for Christmas until we got older and realized how much work it was to actually decorate the tree and hang the signs and set up the Christmas scene and ensure that each room had it's proper nativity set, that I had my construction paper solider that I'd made in elementary school and Teh Sister had her Christmas art craft, both displayed proudly on our bedroom doors.  We all had our own personal ornament that only we were allowed to hang, those were saved for last and put up at the top of the tree, all the other ornaments could be placed anywhere, by anyone.

Teh Sister and I wrestling with our Brazilian exchange student,
well after Christmas had passed.  That sign was up ALL year long.
Circa 1998ish.
PS, those white overalls didn't pass the Fashion Police Inspection.

The motivation to take down the Christmas decorations after New Year's was extremely low.  Pretty sure that one year the motivation to take down the Christmas decorations was so we could have my birthday party in February...  One year, we left up the Merry Christmas sign for the entire year.  We forgot about it when we packed away the decorations.  Randomly, Teh Mom would think about it and say she should put it away.  By August, we'd decided that it was a permanent decoration that year.  People would come in and comment on our Merry Christmas sign and we'd tell them we were preparing for December already.  We're serious in the Christmas decorating business, yo.

One year, while I was in college, Teh Mom added so many lights to the tree (she really loves the lights the mostest), that it heated up the room to an actual 5°F warmer than the rest of the house.  No jk.  Of all the Christmas decorations, the tree is foundation of all the other Christmas decorations.  It's not Christmas without a tree.

In what way did this scar me though?  It's still not Christmas unless there's a tree.  Period.  I don't have to have my Merry Christmas sign, I don't have to have lights on the porch or the lit tree on the roof (yes we were that family).  But, I have to have a Christmas tree.

Teh Friends have learned this.  I had a Cmas tree in GTMO (despite no room in my shack room), I had my tree and presents set up in Bahrain, where it took over my entire bar area.  When my stuff was in the no-man's land that is US Customs, I had to improvise, so I made a ornament bar to hang in the window.  Shoulda Been a Cowgirl received a care package from me right before she left Bahrain with her personal Christmas tree since she said that she wasn't decorating for Cmas because she was leaving shortly after.  I told her I'd fix that for her.  I did:

I fixed it!  (Shoulda Been a Cowgirl's photo, stolen from FB)
Tree, lights, ornaments.. THE WORKS!

I won't say I have a Christmas tree problem.. but I might have a Christmas tree problem.  I'm blaming Teh Mom this round.  Teh Mom scarred me for life with her decorating habits.  Luckily, this habit doesn't make me self-conscious every time I eat particular food.  No no, instead, I must share this eagerness with the world.  /creepysmile.

PS.  98 days till Christmas.  Just sayin.