Christmas Fret (and maybe poop)

Despite the title, I'm actually in a good mood- or maybe a mellow good mood.  It's probably because I found a LOT of Christmas music on my computer, which I can get to and play.  As opposed to the nice Christmas CD collection, packed away with all the other holiday stuff in the attic, which only my husband can get to.

Which means we haven't drug out the tree OR the lights OR the nativity sets OR any other holiday decoration.  And I was all fine with that, and then suddenly I wasn't.  Where was the window of time that had both "I'd like to get the decorations out and up" AND "we have time to do this."  GONE, I tell you- I went from fine to annoyed in .6 seconds, and it's no one's fault but my own.

Still, I'm laughing at myself- after just one or two nights of cranky annoyedness, now I'm more like "heh, I'm annoyed without giving a reason".  SO I highly recommed stashing Christmas music in an easily retrievable and rememborable spot.  Also, having a kind husband who listens to your rant and is STILL kind afterward helps very much.  Also, having plans to decorate jsut before the crazy holiday party circuit (and we're not even going to them ALL) helps.  Oh, and don't forget having a toddler who likes to sing along with the Christmas carols even if he doesn't know the words.  Hmm, well that's helpful for about 5 minutes, and then only as a memory to smile at.  Otherwise, the FIVE GOLDEN RINGS  starts to clash with the nice Christmas music feelings.

Well, believe it or not, I'm knee deep in wrapping presents and making all SORTS of compromises to my "original, best plan" that involved everything being equal and fair and recycled wrapping that Kaden colored or painted on.  Which is odd, since I had finished shopping about 2 weeks ago.  Well, except for the alternative gifts and one online special that I missed the deadline on and was waiting for another deal to come up.  And now it IS up, but there's no way for me to tell if i can GIFT it to another address before I click the 'pay now' button, which makes me a bit nervous.

And then, with the alternative gifts, there's a spousal debate raging about whether we include them in the Box-o-Gifts or mail the acknowledgements out separately with the Christmas cards.  Actually, I'd like to include the Christmas cards too, but I haven't taken the "Florida Christmas" photo, even though I've had the idea since halloween. 

I think the shipping deadline is today, for regular dont-sell-us-your-arm shipping prices.  But in addition to all the above, I need two large boxes and instead have one XXL huge bog and one medium large-ish box. I THINK I can use the medium big box for one family but then the other family's box will have lots of air packs, which makes it look way less exciting. Especially because we really don't go overboard AND it's got recycled wrapping paper, which looks less exciting.  I like to think our Christmas gift boxes say:   "we love you, and we carefully picked out these few presents, AND we also love the earth so we've recycled paper AND we also want to share our creativity so we've painted the paper to make it look festive"   I don't know, though, maybe it says something else entirely. 

Anyway, I have two hours before going into work, and should have all the gift-y stuff off the table before kaden comes home too.  Plenty of time if i'm just wrapping and sealing boxes, but not so much if I have to go print and pick up things.  So I'll get off the blog now.

BUT I really have to share my most favorite alternative gift:   Manure.   Really, with the tagline that says something like "show your family you give a sh*t this Christmas".  Oxfam makes me laugh so hard!!  And I could think of a few people to send it to, but I think maybe they'd take it the wrong way.  Would you?

Mail Call!

Yesterday, we came home to this outside our door:

 Kaden says, "I think it's for me."  I look at it and say yes, it is.

"Because it has my name, right here, see?  KADEN (LASTNAME)

Who's it from?"  Uncle Steve. 

 "I don't know what it is, Mom.

Do you know what it is?"

You know what I love most about this?

He didn't let me help unless he got stuck (i.e. packing tape).

So look at all the ways he kept moving it around, trying to get it open.

"Mom, this is big! But I still don't know what it is."

"Hey, look, it's a chair!"

"Thanks, Uncle Steve!"

Eco-Cool... or not

So... every Christmas Jim and I try to figure out way(s) to simplify the madness and focus on the good stuff (which usually isn't stuff). It's a bit tricky when there's kids involved (13 neices/nephews). We honestly WANT to be revelant to their lives, but are a bit uncomfortable with the buying-lots-of-toys scenerio. Don't get me wrong, we succomb more often than not, but generally there's lots of thought and some teeth-gnashing trying to get a balance.

ANYWAY, one of the things we try to do is recycled wrapping when possible. We learned early on that newspapers- even the comics- fail to impress the under 4 set. In fact, most toddlers refused to acknowledge those boxes as a gift! So we've decorated grocery bags with stamps, painted and re-used old blueprint papers, etc.

This year, I thought we hit a real winner. We bought all the kids new ____ (ha! you didn't think I'd write BEFORE the 25th, didya?). And then decided to 'wrap' the presents in pillowcases specially designed for each child. Well, the crafting part didn't happen... but we did scour a few thrift stores looking for kid designed cases in good condition! We get home and have much fun, ahem, assembling the gifts one by one, then putting each into a 'family' pile. Then I turned around and discovered that....

very cool, very recycled, very fun piles of gifts inside pillowcases...

mostly just look like laundry. (sigh)

Sometimes I wonder what the assorted little ones think when they get boxes from us...