Last year I posted about our Rockwellian Christmas tree experience. Its in my notes if you are curious. This year the two oldest boys and I got together and began our hunt. First Matthew had a fit. It was apparent that he felt left out the previous year by Tyler taking the lead in the cutting. He felt as if he had been slighted because of his being younger than Tyler. So I told him he could cut the tree this year. Matt was happy.
We found several nice trees that were easily accessible to everyone. Matt would have none of that. He wanted one that he picked out on his own, Soooooooo. He found one deep within what we refer to as the Plumb Thicket.
About 30 years ago there were three plumb trees in our pasture. They have long since died and privet hedge, saw briers, and one lone cedar tree have taken their place. It is a difficult place for a thin mouse to slip into much less a mere human. But, Matthew is not a mere human, he is a boy of uncommon resolve, and he had so resolved to cut this tree without the aide of anyone. So I handed him the saw and he crawled into the plumb thicket.
He began sawing; I could not even see him. I had him crawl to the edge so I could take his picture. He had no room to move the saw back and forth. He had to cut brush away so he could get to the tree. He finally began cutting the cedar tree. I offered to send Tyler in to help him but he shouted down that quickly.
Then came the ants.
Matt: “Ants, aggg, ants are all over my tree!”.
Me: “Need some help?"
Matt: “No, get back, I’m cutting down this tree!”
Me “Cut faster then.”
Matt: “moan”
I could tell this was going to take a while so I went and got a chair.
Tyler came along realizing that once Matthew puts his mind to something you might as well get comfortable; he took my chair and put it in the swing.
Abbie came along with us. She had just taken a shower; the next obvious step for her was to wallow in the mud and put hay into a huge pile and jump into it with her baby brother.
About the time I started to worry that Matt might have to spend the night in the thicket he called out, “Timber!”. But the tree didn’t fall. There was no room for the tree to fall. It was held up with saw briars and honeysuckle vines.
Matt: “Its stuck.”
Me: “Want some help?”
Matt: “NO, I cut this tree and I am getting it out, this is my tree.”
Me: “OK brother, hurry it up, I am getting tired of waiting”
Matt: “Moan”
Do you see a trend here?
TO BE CONTINUED
James and Abbie watching Rudolph the other night. 
