This weekend, after finishing the final cleanup from the Thanksgiving meal, it was time to pack up the fall decorations. Out with the orange and brown, in with the red and green!

As my sister and I hauled the boxes up from the basement, I began thinking about what would work for this year. Tate is crawling and pulling up on things, so my first decision was to nix the full-size tree. I knew it would be a constant battle to keep him from pulling ornaments off the low-hanging branches, not to mention pulling the whole tree over. Instead we’ve got a small artificial tree sitting on top of an end table, blockaded by two chairs.

I’m not fully convinced that he won’t find his way to that tree, however, so all the breakable ornaments are staying in their boxes. It’s really not very fair: pretty lights, bright red balls, but no, no, don’t touch it! What he does get to play with are the Santa Claus and snowman Beanie Babies, and a bucket full of plastic Christmas cookie cutters.

Overall, quite a few items were unwrapped, then re-wrapped and returned to the boxes and bins in the basement for another year. I’m sure before we know it, Tate will be helping me decorate the big tree, with ornaments he made himself. Time goes too fast- we’ll enjoy this “childproofed” Christmas while it’s here!

How are your holiday decorations different this year, if you’ve got a baby on the loose? Share your ideas, or things you remember that your parents did when you were young…