I used to shop for the kids, throw it in a locked room and wrap on Christmas eve. This made me totally crazed on Christmas eve. And gave me a sore back and I started hating my husband. He would be doing stockings and I would wrapping gifts. Something is wrong with that picture. We also used to do different shopping and have different presents for the kids and he would have his staff wrap the presents. This also makes me super crabby.
We used to send out over 350 Christmas Cards, that is nuts. Scott worked as a Golf Professional at a very high end course and many of those were to members. I always wrote a letter with the year's events and highlights. This again was crazy. On the flip side of that, just friends and family and I am still mailing out over 100 this year.
Scott and I now shop together and the minute we get home, I wrap it all. The kids are older and not above sneaking about and ruining my Christmas by seeing all their gifts. Sneaky, sneaky children cannot see through wrapping and if they rip it I tell them I will take it back to the store or give it to Toys for Tots. I do it too, I am not going to give in to the kids on my Christmas joy.
So here I sit, done and happy. I did just remember teacher gifts, but I am making them carmel corn, even after the ten hour marathon for the Christmas Tea. Homemade gifts are a nice way to say thank you to the teachers and the bus driver, etc. etc. I also make stuff for the neighbors. Fun stuff. I truly miss my neighbors homemade stuff in Arizona, Kim's redhot cider (made with those little yummy red hot candies, yummo), Lisa and Lesley's carmel rolls, the Angel's Christmas decorations, totally over the top and I loved it. I do miss my desert Christmas.
With all this said, there were years that I refused to do any of it except the kids. There were years when my life was so insane that I could not rally to do the Christmas letter and cards. When your kids are little, it is okay to take that year off. Rest. You need it, they will get up at the crack of dark on Christmas morning.
How much do you have left, can I help you? If you live by me, I will. I promise that I will help to spread the Christmas cheer. I love this time of year. Craziness and all.
God Bless you and yours.
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1 comment:
Yeah, if you could help me find a day when I could get my husband and three kids all together to have our picture taken that would be great. It would also be helpful if you could help me photo shop myself to be about 15 pounds lighter. Doesn't sound that difficult does it. Well, this is now December 9 and I have been trying since mid-November. Someone always has a game or practice or girl scouts or ....
love you, I love reading your posts! I miss you more than you know! Want to go to walmart with me?
I do have a small bone to pick with you. After reading your post announcing you were taking time off to go shopping on black Friday, I thought, gee I have never done that, if Kay does it I can too. So I woke Emma up at 3am (we live 2 hours away from civilization) and we headed for Missoula. It was so sweet, we listened to Christmas songs and talked all the way there. At one point I told her how great this was and that we should make it a yearly, mother- daughter tradition. Then we pulled into Missoula. As we passed Target I almost wrecked the car as I gwaked at the looooonnnnnggggg line that wrapped around the store. I told Emma I was sure that Kmart wouldn't be that busy, no one really goes to Kmart. Oh, I was so wrong. I risked my precious daughter's life to grab a toy for our God daughter, Emma had to crawl under legs to reach the coveted toy. Then I couldn't find the advertised toys I was after and Emma suggested we ask someone (she is so clever) "oh, sorry mam' those all sold out yesterday" I was confused since I didn't realize stores were now open on Thanksgiving. That would have been good to know before I drove 2 hours in the dark at 3am. Anyway, the rest of the day was pretty much the same, but I did manage to get everything I needed. They aren't wrapped but I do enjoy doing that on Christmas Eve, so all is good. Emma and I decided we would find another mother-daughter tradition. Any suggestions?
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