Mr. Skellie's first Christmas Tree!

As I was adding finishing touches to our Christmas tree, I heard some rustling and grunting in the dining room. When I went to investigate, I found Mr. Skellie wrestling with his very own Christmas tree that he had found in one of the Christmas bins.

"Would you like a hand?" I asked. He asked if I could grab the light end and he would take the heavy end. Together we managed to get it upright and I helped him start fluffing up the branches. He started joking around and got tangled up in the branches

but I soon pried him loose. I showed him all the decorations for the tree and he was eager to start.

"Hey look, I'm a Christmas tree!" he yelled.

I turned and we both laughed. He was really enjoying his first foray into Christmas decorating. After he unwound himself, I helped him put it on his tree.

As he was hanging the first ornament, I noticed the tattoo.

"I thought that washed off during the last rainstorm you were caught out in..." I said. "I've been using that coverstick you have to cover it up..." said Mr. Skellie. "You mean the one I used to use to cover my eye bags...I've been wondering where that went..."I said. He said he feels like Popeye when he lets it show. I told him Popeye had arms that were a whole lot bigger but he came back with the comment that the bones were the same size. You can't win when you try to argue with a plastic skeleton I guess.  We continued working on the ornaments together and after it was all done, I saw him looking at the tree and thinking.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "It needs lights...." he said. "Oh poopy, we'll have to take everything off the tree to do that and I'm not sure if I have any lights that will fit this tree." I said. I went to the shop and pulled out boxes and bins looking for the lights I had purchased on sale quite awhile ago. I found them and the batteries were still good!

Mr. Skellie approved. He helped me put them on the tree after we had taken all the ornaments and garland off. It was worth it to see how happy it made him.

Everything was put back on and I helped him with the ornaments that were up high.

He freaked out a little when I got the ladder out to reach the top, but I was careful and there were no accidents. "Why is there still an ornament left in the box?" he asked. I told him that was the star for the top and would he like to put that on. He grabbed it and I held him while he carefully put it on the top branch.

I explained to him that this star represented the one that shone in Bethlehem over the baby Jesus. He reflected on that quietly for a moment and then asked If I could get a good shot of his first tree...he wanted to remember it for always. (This is the "arty " shot he wanted...)

When night fell, I took another shot of it lit...

Mr. Skellie can't wait for Christmas! Have a great day!