Our ("Understated") "Hallelujah House"

Now that we seem to be in the clear from our bout with The Daycare Plague, I can finally write about something other than vomit. My choice of topics for this evening: Our Home's Outer Christmas Decor... or, as Kyle and Owen call it, our "Hallelujah House."

Above, you'll see what our house looks like right now on the outside after dark. Being originally a New Englander, it looks very festive and "lit up" to me. In fact, even after living these past five years outside of New England, I still feel like decorating a tree right out in front like that almost looks a bit "much" to me. But I like it. And thank god, since it took Braydon and I a long time to do it and we came close to a huge blow out of a fight in the process. Anyway... back to topic:

The reason we decorated the tree with lights is because Kyle and Owen kept asking us, "Where's my hallelujah house?" and "What happened to my hallelujah house???" As I've previously noted on this blog, whenever we are in the car they sing the Halleljuah Chorus loudly every time they see Christmas lights (which means they're singing it non-stop anytime we drive after dark now). Yes, we taught them to do this! No, we don't regret it! (it is SOOO STINKIN' CUTE!) People have incredibly extravagant things on their houses and lawns around here. Everywhere you go, literally from the wealthiest neighborhoods to the poorest housing projects, you see incredibly expansive light displays and lawn displays. I have come to get a big kick out of it. Braydon thinks it is hysterical. It is what it is. Not sure how to describe it exactly, but I can tell you this: My mother would say it is "not classy." HER words, NOT mine (I study the sociology of social class for cripes sake!) (Hmmmm... Mom, maybe this phrase you always used is why?!) Anyway, back to topic:

Kyle and Owen really badly wanted for us to have a "Hallelujah House." Especially when all the houses in our very own neighborhood started to get all decked out. They look around at our neighbors houses and point them out to us excitedly: "Mommy, see that one? Look at that hallelujah house! WOW!!!!!" and "Hey, Papi, you see that house? Wow Papi! You see that hallelujah house?!!!" Then they would look at us and say sadly, "Where'd my hallelujah go?" We have never put up outer Christmas decor. Well, I mean, in previous years we've always had a wreath on the door, and we've sometimes had white lights in the windows, but never any bushes lit up or huge blow up Santa's on the grass. But we couldn't take it any more, and we actually just felt sincerely sorry for our children, so we found some old lights (that were from our wedding reception actually) in the basement and we got them out and strung them up on a tree.

When we finished this project (which was, as I mentioned, a big task for us), we grabbed the boys and dragged them to the road and we all stood there to take our first long look at "Our very own hallelujah house!!!!!" (you can just imagine how psyched up we tried to make this whole thing) The boys were excited. Somewhat. To be completely honest about it, they were genuinely happy and contented to have their "own" hallelujah house. But quickly they turned and pointed out the two houses that stand on either side of ours: "Mommy, see that one? Look at that hallelujah house! WOW!!!!!" and "Hey, Papi, you see that house? Wow Papi! You see that hallelujah house?!!!" As Braydon and I looked at the houses that our sons were pointing to we couldn't help but agree. I said to Braydon, "Wow, ours just sucks." And he said, with complete sincerity: "Ours is nice, it is just understated." Then we realized in that instant how ridiculous the whole thing was, and we just looked at each other cracking up!!! Take a look at these two pictures and you'll have a better sense of it all! (the first is the house to our immediate right, the second is the house to our immediate left)... In order to get the full visual, you must do a "compare and contrast" with the photo of our house above.

Happy Holidays!