It occurs to me that the Christmas tree is a real opportunity if you don't like to scrapbook. If you do your tree right, you'll never have to cut and paste another matchbook cover again.

Because of things like the commemorative ornament. I've got my wedding picture in a little frame with the date. I've got "Baby's First Christmas" - for both babies - also dated. And the first ornaments my children were able to make that had the three key elements - glue, glitter and popsicle sticks.

Speaking of which, I've got all the preschool years documented with a variety of Santas, stars, snowmen and angels ornaments, all with a cutout picture of my child's face on it. And since the clay handprints tend to pull the tree over, we display them under the tree, to show their growth over the years. And to support the trunk.

All our trips are well-documented - a sailboat from Annapolis, a starfish from Edisto, a sand dollar from Litchfield, a pinecone from Pinehurst.

Lots of pictures too - baby pictures, family pictures, a picture of the cat we had to give away, and even a picture of the school we got thrown out of due to a rezoning. And all of our Christmas cards from years past.

Alma maters are covered - the state schools are represented, but no Ivy League schools. We certainly expect some of those to be added in 10 years or so. Seriously, kids, the tree needs a little Harvard, Princeton or Yale, so put down the candy cane and go read something.

Lots of hobbies - a tennis racquet, skis, a set of golf clubs. A football, baseball bat, and a champagne bottle. (That's really more MY hobby than anybody else's.)

We've got our old Christmas cards, but also our parents' cards when we were kids. And I even added some of my favorite cards I received from my friends. And by favorite, I mean the ones that are out of focus, where a child is crying, or there are track marks where the mom accidentally drove off with the cards on the car and ran over them - true story.

Really, there is an ornament for every aspect of our lives. And absent from the tree are what we don't have, places we haven't been and things we don't do. So, no dogs, Eiffel Towers or cooking utensils of any kind. Well, one cookie cutter ornament, but I use that for Play-Doh.

So just get your tree in order, buy some eggnog, invite the relatives, and take a trip down memory lane. You can cover your wedding, your babies, schools, hobbies, your last eight trips and how nicely your kid's hand is growing. Just like a scrapbook. Pull it out once a year and enjoy.

Just don't forget to water it.