Real or Fake?

Ah, the holidays. One of my favorite times of the year. Sure the days are getting shorter and colder, but with that comes the season of friends and family, hot mugs of cocoa by the fire, snuggly warm sweaters, and Christmas. Christmas was a very big holiday growing up. My Mom would have the Christmas tree up by December 1 at the latest. Dad would put Christmas music on the turntable, and we would have egg nog, and dec the tree. They used to try to make us wait until Christmas day to open presents but soon realized that we were much more likely to not get up at 4:00am if they let us open one on Christmas Eve. My brother and I were pros at peeling the tape back to peek into our presents. One year, I had a bad moment and made a mess of a present I was peeking into. It was a stuffed cat. So I tucked her into the branches of the Christmas tree. Of course, I forgot all about it, and my Mom found it when we took the tree down that year-Oops!
I grew up with a fake tree. All of my friends, except one, had fake trees. You take it out of the box, fluff it up and decorate. After Christmas you stuff it in the box and put it in the closet until next year. Done. Ours had a little scent pine cone on it that you could put wintergreen smell into. Now, my Mom has a fake tree that also has prestrung lights.
Art is a purist. He always had a real tree growing up. Even with his allergies. They would go pick a tree out, haul it home on top of the car, and water it religiously, endlessly picking up pine needles that have found their way to every corner of the house. Then fight the dry scratchy tree at the end of the season and try to get it out of the house with at least a few pine needles still on the tree, then you have to dispose of the tree... I prefer a bonfire :)> There is nothing like the smell of a Christmas tree. But fake tree users swear by the tree scented glade plug in.
We will be getting a real tree this year. For years we didn't get a tree because we always went to Colorado and I didn't think cleaning up pine needles for three months was worth it if we weren't even going to be home for the holiday. Last year the family (in NE)came to our house so I got a big honkin' (real) tree and decked it out. I think a tradition was born... To sate my fake tree itch I do have a tacky fiber optic one that I put at the store. I absolutely love it!
Real or fake tree, I love this time of year. I look forward to having so many of my family and friends around, will miss terribly our friends and family in Colorado, and I look forward to my Christmas tree!
Although, with our kitten-monster starting her flying lessons, (you should have seen the death defying leap from the loft stairs to the sofa, or should I say almost the sofa--ouch!--) does anyone know where I can get rubber ornaments? I can't wait to see how high she gets in the tree!