Josh and the Christmas Lights

December 2013
The past two Christmas season I was busy with my schooling and didn't get much decorating done. This year I really wanted to make the house festive, but Josh sort of took over.

I usually start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving but it fell a little early on the calendar this year. I planned to wait for the following weekend but Josh started getting anxious. Every day he would pester me about decorations and the tree. Finally I told him that if he wanted to start decorating he could go downstairs and start sorting through things. Little did I know the obsession I allowed to be released!

Josh started by dragging out the lights. He checked for faulty strands and swapped burnt out bulbs for working bulbs. Originally we were going to wait for Chuck to put up the lights on the house but Josh was insistent, claiming the weather was nice. Tired of telling Josh to wait on Chuck, I gave in and told him it was all his. Josh brought up all the lights from the basement, gathered up hooks for the lights, and got out the ladders.  Caleb was less enthusiastic so I had to encourage him.... ok, I had to pull the parental card... to get outside and help Josh.  


It didn't take the boys but an hour to get the lights up. Josh was so proud, he couldn't wait to plug them in. At the first test plug-in, all the lights were lit up, but by dusk, the lights would not come on. None of them. I made a couple suggestions to Josh, stating he may have to check every strand to find the faulty one, then replace it. Josh spent the rest of the weekend asking his dad, his grandpa, his grandma, and Chuck about the lights. Finally we had another good afternoon and Josh spent about an hour checking each strand. The last four strands on the end were not working, causing the entire bunch not to light up. Josh wanted me to get more lights but I was helping the girls with their homework. Not wanting to wait, Josh went to the store and spent his own money buying lights. Josh called me twice while at the store to make sure he got the right lights to match the rest of the house. Immediately after Josh got home with his lights, he was up on the roof replacing the strands. The house lit up! Josh insisted I come see the lights. I was busy helping Suzie finish her homework so I told him I would be there in a minute. Josh couldn't wait so he took a couple pictures with my camera, then a couple more with his phone. He couldn't sit still until I went out to see the lights... he was starting to drive me bonkers- lol... Finally,  Suz finished her homework and we went out to see the lights... only to have the lights not work. Josh threw his hands in the air and sighed heavily, "Why wont they come on?"

In the mean time, Josh worked on his lights issues, trying to figure it out. Now he has another issue. A few years ago I got tired of always trying to track down extension cords for my Christmas lights so I bought one, just for me, to keep with my decorations. Well, this year, Chuck stole it to keep the cows water from freezing.... he stole MY electric cord!! grrr... so, now Josh thinks he has his lights figured out, but he doesn't have  cord to plug them in. I guess one good steal deserves another so he stole the extension cords out of Chuck's work trailer...