diff --git a/src/git.js b/src/git.js
index 3bec7224..49cf1f24 100644
--- a/src/git.js
+++ b/src/git.js
@@ -112,12 +112,12 @@ GitEngine.prototype.instantiateFromTree = function(tree) {
     this.commitCollection.add(commit);
   }, this);
 
-  gitVisuals.paperReady = false;
   _.each(tree.branches, function(branchJSON) {
     var branch = this.getOrMakeRecursive(tree, createdSoFar, branchJSON.id);
-    this.branchCollection.add(branch);
+
+    this.branchCollection.add(branch, {silent: true});
+    gitVisuals.addBranch(branch, true /* paper override */);
   }, this);
-  gitVisuals.paperReady = true;
 
   var HEAD = this.getOrMakeRecursive(tree, createdSoFar, tree.HEAD.id);
   this.HEAD = HEAD;
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ GitEngine.prototype.reloadGraphics = function() {
   var rootCommit = null;
 
   this.commitCollection.each(function(commit) {
-    console.log('finding commit from collection', commit.get('id'));
     if (commit.get('id') == 'C0') {
       rootCommit = commit;
     }
@@ -137,13 +136,11 @@ GitEngine.prototype.reloadGraphics = function() {
 
   // this just basically makes the HEAD branch. the head branch really should have been
   // a member of a collection and not this annoying edge case stuff...
-  console.log('calling when git engine ready');
   gitVisuals.whenGitEngineReady(this);
 
   // when the paper is ready
   gitVisuals.drawTreeFromReload();
 
-  console.log('refreshing harsh');
   gitVisuals.refreshTreeHarsh();
 };
 
diff --git a/src/tree.js b/src/tree.js
index 6a49db23..561bc254 100644
--- a/src/tree.js
+++ b/src/tree.js
@@ -123,14 +123,11 @@ var VisBranch = VisBase.extend({
   },
 
   getRectPosition: function() {
-    console.log('before text pos');
     var pos = this.getTextPosition();
-    console.log('wut');
     var f = this.get('flip');
+
     // first get text width and height
-    console.log('before text size');
     var textSize = this.getTextSize();
-    console.log('text size');
     return {
       x: pos.x - 0.5 * textSize.w - this.get('hPad'),
       y: pos.y - 0.5 * textSize.h - this.get('vPad')
diff --git a/src/visuals.js b/src/visuals.js
index a9291bee..20d3c91f 100644
--- a/src/visuals.js
+++ b/src/visuals.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ function GitVisuals(options) {
 
   this.commitCollection.on('change', this.collectionChanged, this);
 
-  this.branchCollection.on('add', this.addBranch, this);
+  this.branchCollection.on('add', this.addBranchFromEvent, this);
   this.branchCollection.on('remove', this.removeBranch, this);
   
   events.on('canvasResize', _.bind(
@@ -362,14 +362,26 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.animateNodePositions = function(speed) {
   }, this);
 };
 
-GitVisuals.prototype.addBranch = function(branch) {
+GitVisuals.prototype.turnOnPaper = function() {
+  this.paperReady = false;
+};
+
+// does making an accessor method make it any less hacky? that is the true question
+GitVisuals.prototype.turnOffPaper = function() {
+  this.paperReady = true;
+};
+
+GitVisuals.prototype.addBranchFromEvent = function(branch, collection, index) {
+  this.addBranch(branch);
+};
+
+GitVisuals.prototype.addBranch = function(branch, paperOverride) {
   var visBranch = new VisBranch({
     branch: branch
   });
 
   this.visBranchCollection.add(visBranch);
-  if (this.paperReady) {
-    console.log('PAPEPR IS READY');
+  if (!paperOverride && this.paperReady) {
     visBranch.genGraphics(paper);
   }
 };
@@ -511,17 +523,14 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.drawTreeFirstTime = function() {
   this.calcTreeCoords();
 
   _.each(this.visNodeMap, function(visNode) {
-    console.log('visnode map is doing', visNode);
     visNode.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);
 
   this.visEdgeCollection.each(function(edge) {
-    console.log('vis edge collection', edge);
     edge.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);
 
   this.visBranchCollection.each(function(visBranch) {
-    console.log('vis rabnch', visBranch);
     visBranch.genGraphics(paper);
   }, this);