A Mommy Story

I had mentioned that we bought a new Christmas tree last week. This tree was just what I wanted: 7.5 ft, pre-lit artificial tree with LED lights. Even better, this tree has a little box on the cord that lets you switch the lights on the tree from white lights to multicolor lights. I generally prefer white lights, but I thought it would be fun to let the kids get to see it with multicolor lights now and then.

On Friday afternoon, we set up the tree in the living room. Aaron plugged it in and we verified that the lights worked. The multicolor lights were disco-party colorful and the white lights were a bright, yet warm, white light. The kids asked to put it on the multicolor lights while we decorated the tree, so we switched it over to the colorful confetti of lights.

The next day, our tree fully decorated, I stood back and admired the total look. It was still set on multicolor lights, so I reached down to the controller and flipped it over to white lights.

But this time, the white lights weren’t so bright. In fact, they were very dim, barely lit at all.

I thought I might have wiggled the plug loose, so I reached back to the plug and verified it was fully plugged in. The lights were still dim. I turned the switch on the box back to multicolor, and suddenly they were blindingly bright again.

What?? I tried switching it back and forth a few more times, but the white lights remained dim, while the multicolor option worked perfectly. When we first set it up, the white lights worked without any trouble – why are they now not working?

So now, we have a dilemma: what do we do with this brand new tree? Do we continue trying to make the white lights work again? I still have the receipt – do we take all of the decorations off, take down the tree, box it up and return it to the store, only to get a new one and go through decorating it all over again?

Or do I just put my love of white lights behind me and learn to embrace the rainbow?

Cosmo would prefer we leave it, as he was slightly traumatized by bringing this giant thing into the house.