Well we got our first real tree last night. It is a Scotch Pine. easy child 1 and I picked it out, naturally disregarding wife's instructions to keep it under 6' -- we accidentally-on-purpose wandered from the 6-footer aisle into the adjacent 7-footers. I was called Clark Griswold and I have to admit I earned it. Had to go back to Target to trade in the tree stand I bought initially for a larger one.
After we got back and put it up in its stand and admired it for a while, easy child 1 and difficult child went off to bed, and then I hauled the Christmas stuff in from the garage and strung clear lights on the tree. It looks great. My inside jobs are now finished, the girls will hang ornaments and decorate the house tonight, while I sip hot chocolate and listen to the all-Christmas-music station. I still have to do the outside lights, probably this weekend.