It’s not necessarily Zee and Zoey’s fault, per se, after all, the two of them really are not much trouble (relatively speaking). However, when you add in the fact that because of them, we have an additional three very active young cats in the household – their offspring, Mia, Rolz, and Peanut, plus the existing household cat members, Jazz and Harley, we really do have trouble. And I mean A LOT of trouble.

Christmas used to be a holiday I would look forward to and would carefully and lovingly unpack heirloom after heirloom of decorations to put around the house and to decorate the real tree. This process could take weeks, but the results were glorious with a stunning spectacle of tiny, twinkling lights and festive balls, bows, ribbons, Santa’s, and Holiday whatnot placed artfully about the house. For the past few years, out of practicality, peace of mind, and safety, Christmas goes like this:

Take small, ugly fake tree out of attic a few days before Christmas at 7:20 pm. Tie tree to floor lamp to ensure it will not fall over. Decorate with boring shatterproof balls of assorted colors. Finish decorating tree at 7:24 pm. Do not place glass, tinsel, or anything of any sentimental value on the tree. As far as the rest of the house, do not unpack ceramic candlesticks, crystal reindeer or anything remotely related to Christmas that would require going on a shelf, ensuring it will be knocked down and broken. Fireplace mantles and shelves are meant to be used as a jumping pad for cats, not for pretty little breakable holiday baubles. Real Christmas trees are meant to be climbed, hopefully to be tipped over,  and glass ball ornaments are meant to be used as hockey pucks. Seems clear to me.

I would like to say I had the common sense a few years ago to avoid any altercations whatsoever, but I did not. Sometimes I chose to remain a naive Polly Anna, unrealistically believing all would be well. Well, fact is a far stronger yardstick of sanity and reality  in this house than common sense. You tend to learn real quick when, crash, ball after ball, crash, ornament after ornament, crash, collectible after collectible is shattered to pretty little kaleidoscope colored smithereens all over your ceramic tile floor. I think I spent more time sweeping up shards of glass the past Christmas of 2009 than I have in all of previous Christmas’s combined.

So yeah, Deck the Halls, whatever… Blah, blah, blah! We prefer the minimistcic style that are a direct result of Zee and Zoey’s presence in our household and think it is a trend that will catch on with retailers who do not rely on the Holiday Season to profit. Oh wait, that doesn’t make any sense at all, does it! Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year. Just check your wallets at the door folks!