On the Second day of Christmas, my children gave to me...

2 FIBBING SALESMEN

Last year, our family cut down our own Christmas tree. It was such a fun little excursion that I thought it might be a happy little family tradition to keep. The farm we went to last year had ponies and donkeys to pet, a candy cane hunt in the trees for the boys, free hot chocolate, and of course the fun of picking and cutting the tree that would adorn our home for the Christmas season. The farm was quite a trip out and a little pricey, so before we loaded in the car this year I decided to do a little web surfing and see if I could find a place a little closer to home and perhaps a little cheaper. I FOUND one!! 35 minutes away according to Rand McNally. When I called, I was told $3-5/ft for a pine tree!! Close to home and very economical!! The perfect place. After a very long day raking leaves with the teens (Ben) and grocery shopping/errand running with the kids (Carissa), we piled in the car for a "happy" family time. 1 hour in the car, sludging through BUSY traffic, we get to "COX FARMS". The "farm" where we were to CUT our own tree. SEE PICTURE ABOVE - Rink-a-dink, piddly little, city person's Christmas tree stand. Traffic streaming by, not a tree to cut down in sight! I showed the man running the place (a big old guy-a tough frame a round gut- he looked like he had not left that stand since he opened it the day after Thanksgiving) the page I had printed from the Internet where it said it was a "farm" where you CUT the trees... he smiled and chuckled as he said..."well, we kinda already did that part for ya!" What I heard in my mind was "This is DC lady, CUT you own tree, are you kidding me?" I told him it would be a good idea if he changed that information because we have a piddly (I didn't really call it piddly to his face, but I sure was think'n it) little stand like this across the street from our house!! Ben was giving me that "woman, where did you bring us look". We swallowed hard and decided to leave the kids sleeping in the car, pick a tree and get out of there. We started walking through the rows of pretty little displayed trees and noticed the price tags - certainly not $3-5/ft. They were at least double that! I went back to the man and explained that I was quoted a much different price on the phone - he exploded now - very irritated with me! "TABLETOP TREES are $3-5. We told you on the phone the list of prices and you only heard $3-5!!!! Ha pointed me to his wife who was the one who I talked to. She did not even seemed phased..."what are you looking for, Mame?" I responded " a nice little tree, you know, 6-7 feet." The man storms past me asking me to follow. He brings me to this tree which is barely taller than ME. He flicks the price tag up and says "here ya go!!" The tag on this gnarly, twisted, crooked, holey, dead tree was $29.99 and it was labeled "CHARLIE BROWN". I said "thank you" and with tears in my eyes walked to my van with my sleeping children and annoyed husband waiting to begin our long journey back through the traffic home. I assured him I would tell all my friends.

and
a missing baby Jesus