The kids love it. Mr3 loves it so much that he has begun siphoning off the collection, bringing it home to the Fibro for 'visits' (Mum, Chicken Dance Elmo is coming home real soon). Me, I always been fairly ambivalent about the whole scene.
This year, however, I am a convert. A couple of years ago, Mum bestowed upon Fam Fibro a small green Christmas tree that lights up like the proverbial Christmas tree and sings 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' extremely loudly. When we got it, I think we smiled politely and put it on the shelf. Last year, it made it to the top of the sideboard and was brought down on request. This year...
This year, that Christmas tree owns Christmas. Mr3 is besotted. He sits it up next to him on the sofa when he watches tele, just in case he feels like pressing the button. He presses the button and all hell breaks loose, with Mr6 shrieking that he can't hear himself think and Mr3 dancing around the living room like nobody's watching. But we are. We're all watching.
Tonight, we decorated the Christmas tree. As we twined the tinsel, hung the tinkling, twinkling lights and debated the correct positioning of each gold bauble, our Rockin' Christmas tree serenaded us. As The Builder and I remembered each of the 'special decorations' we'd bought ("remember this one? Blue Mountains... the little blue angel, must be Holland...the silver heart that J gave us"), Mr3 pressed 'play' over and over again.
By the time we put up this year's new addition - a pure white ceramic dove wearing a silver crown - we were all belting out the chorus and Mr6 was playing along on his guitar.
Only 19 more days until Christmas. So I should only hear that song about 786 more times. Either that, or the batteries will magically run out in about 24 hours. I'll keep you posted.
Do you have a special family Christmas song? Do you collect 'special' decorations? Do you, perchance, have a novelty singing Christmas tree in your own life?
[image: shopgadgetsandgizmos.com]
I'm guest posting with Heath at ColesOnline today - come and share the story of your latest crush. Mine is small, green and crispy. Really.
We have had the singing dancing fish (classy!) and the soft toy dog that played christmas songs. Kids love this stuff. Impossible to be cool when a parent!
ReplyDeleteFabulous! Your mum sounds fab!
ReplyDeleteWe 'acquired' (ie - we didn't buy it) a santa that hangs from a candy cane (pinned to our front door)and when you pull his leg he jiggles around to ,yep, you guessed it, 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' . Only one leg has got broken and is disjointed and it just kind of dangles there jerking sporadically. I can't go into any more detail but lets just say that the overall effect is one of Santa looking 'at one with himself' whilst hanging from our front door frame ..
We have a few of those (gifts, I didn't buy them believe me) and they are VERY loud. The batteries often go missing *coughs* Jen
ReplyDeletemr p got a reindeer in a rocking chair that sings from his sister, miss b a couple of years ago and it's a favourite. i love all Christmas songs...well, my name is Carol..lol..and whenever i fill the house with cheerful melodies everybody else groans!
ReplyDeleteNah, I don't have anything as cool as that!
ReplyDeleteI do have a beautiful bird with a long tail feather that I bought in Munich, it is my very favourite decoration.
And I carelessly sang "Jingle Bells" to Miss3 last week. I cannot tell you how much she loves that song. I must sing it on request at least 10 times a day and she flits around the house singing her very own, very cute version. Luckily I found the Perry Como version on the computer so I can just click 'play' on repeat....phew!
We have a large silvery bauble that hangs on the tree and if you clap, cough or yell at it (!) it starts singing ... 'Rockin' around the Christmas Tree'. Also, it has a face and the eyes open and close as it sings. My mother bought it. It must be a grandma thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is a truth universally acknowledged that an all-singin-all-dancin Christmas ornament's batteries will go on FOR EVER, whereas something like, say, your torch battery, will be flat in 5 mins. Even with new batteries. Especially if there's a power failure.
Bah humbug.
Unfortunately, we have to hide anything that signs or dances or anything else it could do - my 2 year old is terrified. His twin brother has no issues, but he is not cool with any of it.
ReplyDeleteIt all began with a singing Large Mouth Bass that sung "Don't worry, be happy!" and it went downhill from there. We have a talking Elmo, but he prefers to admire him from afar. lol.
Though I know how quickly one can tire of hearing songs sung by Elmo, large fish or even mini-Christmas trees...they are pretty fab the first 100 times you hear them! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe haven't got any of those (and, yes, it's on purpose - thankfully family is too far away to borrow theirs), but I do have an ornament tradition with my mum. Every year she sends me a new ornament - and it's always an angel. I used to think it's because she thought I was so angelic...until I realised she might be secretly tapping into her oft-hidden sarcastic side ;)
Either way, this season is special and I look forward to hauling out the decorations that we managed to drag with us. This year we're finally going to try a REAL tree!!
We get an ornament whenever we travel somewhere new. And the kiddos make ornaments for their grandparents every year (I better get on that). I love Christmas ornaments!
ReplyDeleteAnd my mom has an Easter bunny with a chorus of three green frogs on its paw that all sing "At the Hop." My kids love it. I'm still waiting for the batteries to run out.
I love those quirky things that create christmas memories! My mum has a gorgeous wind up carosel that plays a very old christmas tune, its just lovely. The little guy & I picked up a frank sinatra christmas cd a few weeks a ago & we can't get in the car without it playing VERY loudly, he loves it!
ReplyDeletewe have a reindeer that vibrates and sings Jingle Bells in English with a heavy Chinese accent
ReplyDeleteLast year, my now 3 year old, had one of my "snoopy" collectibles - Woodstock, in particular. He carried woodstock everywhere - it played the Charlie Brown Christmas theme~ he actually wore out the little button from pressing it too many times. Good luck weaning him off of it! Those little musical darlings are addictive!
ReplyDeletePeace & Hugs~Amy
We has a special wind up toy that tinkled 'Jingle Bells' when I was a kid. Mum still has it and it doesn't feel like Christmas until I've popped over and wound it up.
ReplyDeleteRockin' round the Christmas Tree seems to exist purely for insertion into novelty Christmas toys. I guffawed all over the guy sitting next to me on the train when I read inawelshgarden's comment. Ah, Chrimbo. x
ReplyDeletelet it snow let it snow let it snow ...is a fave...not sure of the title of the song that could even be it but i just love that song
ReplyDeleteTee he. Love it. We have this annoying cow puppet(wearing a Christmas hat) that belts out a 'moo'ing version of jingle bells and a few others that no-one can work out. Our Mr3 is in love!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Christmas quirkies like that. Rockin' around the christmas tree is my favourite non-carol song, I have the Brenda Lee version on my Christmas playlist.
ReplyDeleteCan you pleasepleaseplease ask your mum where she bought that little tree and if they're still available? I would love to get one. I have a 9cm tall reindeer that tinnily plays Jingle Bells when I press his belly.
@River - if you click through the link for the image credit, I'm pretty sure you can buy one there. I couldn't find an Australian online seller in my search, but I'll ask my Mum!
ReplyDeleteIf only they made those things with Michael Buble's voice, or mine for that matter :)
ReplyDeleteFavourite Chritmas song - Have youself a Merry Little Christmas.
My in laws have a tree a bit like that with eyes that sings when you press it. Scares the **** out of mine every time.
ReplyDeleteMy husband always makes his own little decoration out of two kumquats and a cinnamon stick. You can guess how he arranges them. It makes him laugh every year.
Yes, yes and yes! My Mum collects a new animated Christmas character every year that sings or dances, not to mention the five fibre optic trees she has placed around the house. My favourite Christmas tradition every year that I can ever remember is playing Elvis Presley Christmas songs. There's nothing like the sound of him singing on Christmas morning.
ReplyDelete