Someone on here gave the most AWESOME tip, sorry I can't give them props cause I can't remember who!! 
Put the Christmas tree up, and if there is any way to "block" it into a corner or something with a baby gate, or whatever, do it.
But if the tree has to be out, then we used the awesome tip the last 2 years, and it worked like a charm! Now, I don't know why, cause it doesn't work for other things in the house!
That might have been me. I can't remember. But that is exactly what we did the first 2 years. I used one of the baby play yards that you can configure (Superyard, I think). I put the tree against a wall or in a corner and put the play yard around it. It let John be close enough to look at it but not close enough to pull it over. It was also an easy way to protect the tree when he was around, and then take the play yard away so we could enjoy it when he was in bed or had company.
The past 2 years I have given him his own ornaments to put on the tree and touch. they have been simple unbreakable things. He gets to put them where he can reach them. And he can touch them when ever he wants. They are tied with a different color ribbon than the rest of the ornaments. That helps us all remember which ones are his. He would rearrange them several times a day. But he felt a sense of independance and belonging to the holiday. It didn't become a month of things he couldn't touch.
I also decided to get a Playmobil Nativity instead of a real nice one. Same reason...john can handle it and play with it, and we can tell the story. And I don't have to worry that it will get broken. He has his own Advent calendar too. One that hangs on teh door and he adds a fekt ornament to a felt tree each day.
I think this year I might put a small tree in the playroom and let him decorate it with paperchains and handmade ornaments. My mother used to do that. We would put all the things we made at school and girl scouts on it. I thought it was something for us kids, but now I realize it was just to keep her Christmas tree looking pretty without all the kid junk on it.
I really love the Christmas season and want John to feel like he is a part of it....more than just Santa (which we talk about but dont emphasize). But I try to keep his involvement relative to his developmental stage and maturity level. There is so much about Christmas, but he doesn't have to experience it all in one year. He can grow into new experiences each year. I think this year we wil add a tree lighting ceremony or a Christmas parade to our activities for him.
