MARK MY WORD: SANTA, COULD YOU LOAN US SOME ELVES?

Dear Santa:

I know you love to see all those Christmas trees when you're out riding around in the sleigh, but it isn't easy putting up a tree with young children around.

It took a whole week to get our tree decorated this year.

Of course, we had to rearrange our house before we could even get the tree.

It all started last Sunday when Joni and I decided we had to move a cabinet out of the living room so we would have room for the tree.

But we didn't just move the cabinet. We ended up completely rearranging three rooms of the house, hauling a desk and other assorted stuff to the attic and throwing out trash bags full of household junk.

Christmas trees have a way of getting us to do things we never would have done otherwise. You have to be wary of those evergreens.

There's a reason why the National Christmas Tree is outdoors. Imagine if it were inside the White House. Why, it would take six months to rearrange the place before the tree could even be hauled inside.

At any rate, by the time we finished rearranging the furniture, it was too late to get our tree.

On Monday, I traveled to a Scott County Christmas tree farm where I managed to kill a tree with little trouble.

I then hauled it back home and erected it in the pristine corner of our living room.

For several days, it stood unadorned.

By the time we arrived home from work each night, and fed and bathed the kids, there just wasn't time to drag out all the Christmas lights and ornaments.

Besides, we were still tired from all that moving stuff.

It would have been nice, Santa, if you could have loaned us some of your elves. It would have made decorating the tree a lot easier.

At any rate, we finally brought out the ornaments and Christmas tree lights after we put 1-year-old Bailey to bed. We didn't want her to eat all the lights and turn into a blinking zombie.

With the baby safely nestled in the crib, we were ready to decorate the tree, much to the delight of 4-year-old daughter, Becca.

We began by putting the lights on the tree. This proved to be a monumental task.

It's hard enough for adults to untangle all those strands of lights. Throw a child into the mix, and before long you have strands of lights even more hopelessly twisted than when you started.

Becca was so excited she danced repeatedly around the Christmas tree wearing the red tree skirt. You would have thought she was a crazed elf.

We managed to get four strands of lights on the tree.

We had checked them before putting them on the tree and all four strands had worked.

But when we finished putting them up and put the plug into the socket, only one strand of lights worked.

There was a short in one of the strands. I quickly drew on my great knowledge of electricity -- I fiddled with the wires until the other lights blinked on.

Personally, Santa, couldn't you do something about those fickle Christmas tree lights? It doesn't seem a lot to ask. These lights only have to work a few weeks out of the year.

They always seem to wait until after you have put them on the tree before they go on strike.

Having survived the Christmas light Olympics, we decided to wait another day before tackling the ornaments.

By week's end, we had managed to put some ornaments on the tree, being sure to keep them above the reach of Bailey -- except for one lone ornament that Becca put low enough to torment her sister.

It would be a lot easier next year, Santa, if you could just bring a decorated tree with you Christmas Eve.

P.S. You might still have to fiddle with the lights.

~Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.