Sparklies

As if making ten thousand home-made gifts for family members isn't enough, Julia apparently made a present for chihuahua Clara as well.  I woke up this morning to see this underneath the tree:

I'm sure Clara is going to LOVE it.


In other news, the girls are delighted by all the Christmas lights in town, which they have referred to, for years, as "sparklies."  Madeleine feels the compulsive need to point out Every.  Single.  Sparkly.  that she sees.  That means that getting Madeleine to finish a sentence while we're driving around town is near impossible.

MADELEINE: Mama?  At school today we were - sparklies!  Mama??  At school today, we were learning about - sparklies!  Mama?  At school today, we - sparklies.  We were - sparklies!  Mama?  At-at-at - sparklies!  Mama?  Sparklies.


The girls especially love the historic "Blue Tree" in the Needham Town Common.  When I told them today that this is the last year that the famous tree would be strung with lights, the girls were full of questions.  Like, to the point that they were unable to discuss any other topic all afternoon.

JULIA: But why are they cutting the tree down after this Christmas?
ME: Because the tree is old, and it's diseased and dying.
JULIA: But what happens if it's diseased and dying?
ME: Well, it could fall over, or it could lose a branch, and someone could get hurt.
MADELEINE: But Mamaaa?  How do trees DIE?
ME: Well, trees are living things, so if they get old or get diseases, they can die.  Trees don't live forever.  And this tree is really old, because the Blue Tree Lighting has been a tradition that goes back in history.
JULIA: (enthusiastically) You mean like back to 1892?
ME: Uh...well probably not...
MADELEINE: But Mamaaa?  How do trees GET diseases?
ME: Well, they can get a fungus that can cause them to rot.
MADELEINE: Hey!  Mama!  That's just like when I got PUS in my molluscum!

No, it's really not  just like that.

JULIA: But Mom?  How do they KNOW the tree is dying?
ME: Because special tree experts called arborists know what signs to look for to determine whether a tree is rotting or not.
JULIA: No.  Mom.  I mean: How do REGULAR people know to even CALL the tree experts?
ME: Uh, well, I imagine there are signs that the tree is not doing well.
JULIA: Like what??
ME: Well, maybe a tree will hang crooked, or branches will look like they might fall off, or maybe there are signs of fungus. 

Driving past the tree:

JULIA: But Mom, the tree doesn't LOOK crooked.
MADELEINE: Oh!  Wait a minute!  I think it looks a LITTLE crooked!
JULIA: But Mom. There are LOTS of crooked trees, and not all of them are dying!
ME: I don't really know if a crooked tree is a sign of a tree dying.  I'm not an expert.  But arborists know what to look for.
MADELEINE: But Mamaaa?  Why do they have to chop it down?
ME: Because if a tree is rotting and dying, it could fall down and cause damage, so it's better to cut it down before that happens.  But don't worry.  They're going to plant another tree to decorate next year.
MADELEINE: Or they could just leave a stump for sitting on!
JULIA: And everyone could decorate the stump and it would be called the "Blue STUMP Lighting!"

Now that's a marvelous idea.  What a cost-saver!  How many fewer lights would you need to string around a stump than around a huge maple tree??

Several hours later, when I was reading Madeleine a bedtime story, she interrupted me on this page:

MADELEINE: Hey!  Mama!  That's just like-like-like-like-

I thought she was going to make a comparison to the Whos from "The Grinch" standing in a circle singing around the tree.  Nope.

MADELEINE: That's just like-like-like the DEAD tree!

That's what they should have called the final Blue Tree Lighting: The Dead Tree Lighting.  I can't think of anything that captures the holiday spirit more.

The Dead Tree