Tradition delayed

For at least a dozen years, Ali and I have had a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree together. It's Step 2 of the Reed holiday habit.

Nice spread, aye?

We start things off on the way home from Thanksgiving, which is usually down home, by breaking out Jeff's House of Merle X Marks the Spot Christmas music mix. We sing along for the 90 miles or so it takes us to get home and by the time we get home, we're on the edge of ready.

This year, instead of waking up to hours of pulling out decorations, I got up at 3 to get Ali up and to the airport for a trip to Mexico with her school choir. She was chosen for the 8-day, over the school week, trip to Tlaxcala and has spent the last several days singing her heart out in churches built in the 1500s and traipsing around scenic Mexico.

Mr. Riley is earning his corner of heaven... and snack on Earth.

You can see and listen to her choir here, here, here and here, thanks to great trip chaperones and the magic of Facebook and mu pilfering from a Dad named Mike Berry. His daughter apparently didn't think he was too bossy to go. The least he can do is let me steal from him. 😁

In between multiple singing events, the girls have danced with local villagers, sang with kids, exchanged gifts with schools and host families, scaled ancient ruins, eaten tons of great food and sprang a flash mob in a crowded market. They've had a wonderful time.

As for me? Well, Christmas has still escaped from the bins but the tree is naked of ornaments -- that's Ali's favorite job. One year, we had a tree with little else but stuffed animals. She's gotten over that, though she may not appreciate what I've done with our collection of Island of Misfit Toys collection. She usually insists they sit above the picture window in the front room.

I did put the tree up and wrap it in lights -- not her favorite part. She claims she's excited to get home and get to it. We'll see. She comes home tomorrow night. I've cleared the next day for whatever she wants to do. I expect my morning will be available, though...