On the annual day that we put up our Christmas tree, a real-life Grinch almost stole our cheer.
It’s tradition to put up our tree the day after Remembrance Day. We remind T to honour veterans first before he goes nuts with Christmas.
Three things, after all, get T super excited: Christmas, Halloween and his birthday.
This past Saturday got off to an unexpectedly terrible start when we discovered that someone had broken into our car the night before.
Thankfully, there was no damage to the car, but the thief took the hubby’s prescription glasses, which he needs to drive.
We live in a safe boring working class neighborhood, so for this to happen – and to the house across the street – felt creepy.
We felt violated knowing strangers were in our car and T was livid and demanded the thieves be brought to jail to sit on the electric chair.
I always try to find the positive in any situation and as infuriated as I was, I saw the silver lining in the teachable moment it created.
It showed T the upsetting impact stealing has on those affected – something we find ways to reinforce after his recent lollipop incident.
The hubby and I were also mindful about role modeling calm and resiliency – so we showed T how we responded to the situation, including the hubby filing a police report.
T was upset when I told him the thief was likely not going to be caught. I told him that as upset as we are, we need to move on – and more importantly, we need to learn from these moments.
Specifically, we will not leave our car in the driveway nor leave valuables in the car.
After we came home from swim lessons, we put our upset faces away.
We took out the tree and ornament boxes from the basement and got to work.
The hubby put on a vinyl Christmas album on his childhood Fisher Price vinyl record player.
T did a great job helping decorate the tree, doing more than half of the work this year.
The final decorated tree looks wonderful, ending the unexpectedly terrible start of our day with Christmas light, hope and cheer.
So sorry about the break in of your car!!! However, you turned it around and used it for positive … a teaching moment. Thumbs up and kudos to you and your hubby! The tree … um … okay, but I’m not ready to talk about or think about Christmas yet. BAH HUMBUG, I say!!! Sigh. I’ll still be saying that on December 24th when the girls have FORCED a tree into my view and lots of homemade goodies down my throat! 😉 Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. — I know you already had yours, and another Canadian friend, Emily, keeps telling me that we have the date wrong — but anyway, Happy Day to you, your husband, and young lad T!
Thanks Jill. It was very upsetting but I’m glad we found a way to turn it around.
We are those kind of people you roll your eyes at. The ones who put the tree on November 12. Haha.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and then a great sprint to the Christmas cheer. 🙂
When these things happen, sadly they make us a little less trusting going forward. Sigh.
Yes, most people get more into Christmas than I do these days. Perhaps it’s a product of my age, or of the state of the world, but I just don’t feel the Christmas spirit any more. I put on my happy face, though, for the sake of the family. 😶
I am so sorry this happened to you guys! I’m glad you were able to make a teaching moment out of a bad situation. Glasses are so expensive and I do the same thing with mine whenever I go into a place. You just made a teaching moment for me too! Your tree looks pretty, tell T nice job.
Thanks Diane. We try to find a teachable moment in everything. Thankfully the hubby got some new ones, just got cheap ones cuz he uses them to drive not for vanity. We don’t leave them in the car anymore! 😆 And yes, we love how T helped out so much with the tree this year. Enjoy your weekend!
I’m sorry this happened. But like everyone else, I don’t understand why the thief took the prescription glasses. I really admire you for making this incident as a lesson for T. I hope there will only be good things happening from now until Christmas (and the days, weeks, and months after that)!
Thanks Bama! I should’ve been clearer in my post. The only things worth stealing in our car was the prescription glasses (and the emergency kit which they also took). Everything else left was napkins and hand sanitizer and Madonna CDs. They probably didn’t know what a CD was. 😂 I also hope for only good things ahead between now and Christmas and wishing the same for you too!
Oh oops! Well, it’s good they didn’t take the CDs! 😂 Priorities…
I read about the tsunami in Java. I’m not sure the relation to where you are. Hope you’re ok!
Hi Ab. There was an earthquake about 100 km from where I live. I was working at the office on the 35th floor when it happened. It was not the first time I feel an earthquake when I’m in a tall building, but this one was certainly the longest due to the relative proximity of the epicenter. All is well though here in Jakarta. But closer to the epicenter, a lot of houses and buildings were heavily damaged. Thanks for asking!
Glad you’re ok! But sorry about the devastation it’s caused many others closer to the epicenter.
I love this story! It seems life always has a way of teaching lessons when we need them! I am glad nobody was hurt!
Thank you Rebecca. It really was an unfortunate event but the most important is that no one got hurt. 👍🙏
A friend had his car broken in to. They left his iPhone but took a pair of cheap sunglasses and a can of pop……
Lesson learned for me from that story. Always have a can of pop in the car as a decoy! 😆 hope your friends car was ok otherwise!
Who steals prescription glasses and why? Part of me thinks definitely electric chair worthy and the other part thinks that maybe they really needed glasses and we should feel sorry for them. I am so torn. Your tree looks great though!
Thank you! Exactly what we were thinking. Lowest of the low. 😊
With that said, we had to model for T and reminded him to not repay a crime with s crime, haha, and to tell the police about it instead. He wasn’t convinced though.
I love how you put your Christmas decorations up in mid-November! It’s a great way to add some sparkle to these drab and dreary days. Sorry to hear that someone broke into your car and stole the hubby’s prescription glasses. I like that you used it as a teaching moment and tied it back to T’s recent incident with the lollipop. Glad to hear that you didn’t let that car thief ruin your festive cheer and that you went ahead with setting up your tree and decorating. I started to put up a few decorations today now that it’s snowing. We’re hoping to get our tree next week!
Thanks Linda. The snow was certainly unexpected today! But perfect prompt to start thinking about decorating. Do you and K get a real tree? We have a reusable one.
Oh I know. It looks like a winter wonderland out there. I’m glad I don’t have to go into the office today!! We typically get a real tree every year. It definitely requires some extra work (like having to water and vacuum up all those pine needles), but it smells amazing.
I’m so sorry this happened!
Thank you. Hopefully it’s the first and last time. 🙏
It’s very unsettling! When we were at my in-laws this summer, J’s dirt bike was stolen off the back of our truck. Truck was inside the fenced yard and the bike strapped on. It was the only night we left it out so we could leave for home early the next morning. It’s sad that people do not respect other’s. I hope the rest of your week is way better!
The brazenness is so upsetting and I’m sorry the bike got stolen. Hopefully karma hits back at those who took our things!
Exactly! And who steals prescription glasses!?!
In fairness, as a fellow commentor noted, they could’ve needed it. But I quickly ruled it out when they also took the only valuable item in our car, which was our emergency kit. Plus they took valuables from our neighbours car too. Bah humbug! 😆
I’m laughing about the car thieves being brought to jail to sit on the electric chair. It is such a creepy feeling – I’m so sorry. You are so good at teachable moments and the synthesis with bigger picture stories. But still – it sucks!
The tree looks great – what a nice thing to transition to. And I love the emoji halos you put on the decorating picture.
Let’s hope no more grinches this Christmas season!
Thank you, Wynne. It’s been a rough weekend, as you know, but trying to focus on the light, hope and cheer. 😊🙏
Hope your week is off to a good start as well and that Mr D gets better soon!