Tree Envy

For many years, our family has made a trek to a little town 20 miles away to pick out our Christmas tree. After arriving and walking up a very steep hill, for what seems like miles, we finally find just the right one, haul it down the hill, (thank heavens they have tree carts) and have them wrap it in plastic netting, while we visit their little store, quaintly called The Sugar Plum Gift Shop.

We never buy a large tree just a petite little tree, which usually stands no taller than 6 feet or so, from base to tip. This year however I have a bit of a dilemma.

My children have been pestering me all week to make the trip to pick out the tree. However, since the arrival of our little one, our common area is completely taken over with baby items. Not things that you can just pack away for a couple of weeks. Items that we use daily, such as the playpen and swing, you know, those life saving items that keep you from complete insanity.

So in hopes of saving what little bit of sanity I have left, I have informed the children, our Christmas tree this year may be something of a Charlie Brown Tree. Hopefully not as sparse but certainly tiny. They were a bit disappointed and gave me all kinds of suggestions as to where we could put our fragrant evergreen. I heard so many ideas, I was half expecting they might even suggest the bathroom.

So I have decided to bite the bullet and get it over with today. An expected balmy 50 degrees in the northeast. As long as I have to stand in a field of trees debating over available square footage, as least I'll be warm!

Our feature book this week is How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman.

This is one of my absolute favorite children's books! How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World takes you takes you on a journey to gather ingredients to make an apple pie. You will go to Italy for semolina wheat, France for eggs, Sri Lanka for cinnamon, England for milk and so on. A recipe for apple pie is provided at the end of the book. A geography and baking lesson all in one! The colorful illustrations will captivate any child. I guarantee How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World will be a favorite for you also! Our price $ 6.64