Christmas Budget

Every year I look at what we have to spend and what we need to buy. This year (IF everything works out we should have a total budget of about $1500. We have done well in the last few years (cutting down on what we spend and still being happy with what we get everyone) so I think we'll do about the same as years past. But this year we're ahead of the ball game. We have bought "out of pocket" so to speak a few gifts already, we've purchased one gift for the big boys, 2 gifts for each of the girls and pajamas for all the boys (I bought them on clearance last year but didn't want to buy for the girls and have to deal with the emotions if we didn't have the girls). Which will save us about $600 out of our budget this year.

So I sat down and made a list of those we'll be buying for:
Lane Michael
Ethan
Ryan
Gracie
Macie
Mom
Step Dad            
Grandma Sweet  
Cathy                
John                  
Jen                    
Dina                  
Pace                 
Office Staff 1    
Office Staff 2     
Driver 1            
Driver 2             
Driver 3
Driver 4
Driver 5
Driver 6
Teachers at preschool
Teachers and Aide at elementary

The nice part is that most of these are easily budgeted for (most teachers, aides and drivers will be getting gift cards) I know what I'm getting for my Mom and Step Dad (easy) but the kids. Impossible to budget! IMPOSSIBLE Especially since they aren't giving me complete lists. Ryan and the Twincesses have never chosen a gift so they dont' have a clue HOW to choose something! The big boys big gift is being fixed up and changed right now so I don't know what to expect from this. I just don't know. I don't know what to expect for the girls gowns (being sewn by a local seamstress) what to budget for that. There's just so much up in the air right now.

Christmas Play

Is it just me or does Ethan look sickly in this picture!?!

This year we started to do a Christmas play at church but it was WAY over the kids heads...those who put it together didn't consider what the kids were capable of and didn't think before putting kids in parts...and definitely didn't play to their strengths. So it was cancelled. Ethan didn't have any lines and Lane Michael was the ONLY child to memorize his lines. So our pastor stepped in and took a play and made it little kid friendly. He put children in more appropriate roles and made it fail proof. Lane Michael was Joseph and Mallory was Mary (cute), the pastor's wife approached me and asked if I thought Lane Michael could handle it...he is the child who gets up on Sunday mornings in front of the congregation and sings his little heart out, yes, he can do it and would love to! Tyler, Maggie and Grant were shepherds (ignore this...it's more for my own memories), Ethan, Keith and Molly were wisemen...Ethan was the only one to sing We Three Kings and even said Mollies part for her. Kayden and Maddison were inn keepers (they did well), Amelia, Lydia and 2 other girls were the Angels. It was DARLING! I was so impressed! Todd took pics and everyone had a great time! The kids were all on cloud nine! Loved it!

Christmas Traditions

Christmas traditions are really important to Todd and me. We think it's what makes the memories and what keeps them coming home when they're adults...problem is, other people keep messing with my traditions! ;-)

We put up our tree and make cookies and cocoa...usually we do this the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but that weekend is so full of events we were all to exhausted so we did it last weekend (after the Hometown Holiday), the boys decorate the tree while we decorate the house, we make cookies, listen to Christmas carols and just enjoy each other...on a side note, I do not "fix" the tree when my children are done decorating, nor do I allow Lane Michael to follow Ethan around and move all the decorations that are too close to a similar bulb. I love my tree just the way they decorate it!

BFC (Best Friend Cousin) and I kick off the Christmas season with Christmas movies the Saturday after Thanksgiving (this year was a bust - - next year we will do evening movies so that the kids have less energy and actually watch the movies). We eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate, and maybe rearrange the dining room *wink*

We usually do a Christmas trip to Missouri to see Todd's family...this year the host said they didn't have the money or time to host. I really am missing the trip this year. I always have a great time. I heart my sisters in law and brothers in law (most of them).

The Hometown Holiday is always a big hit with our boys...this year Ryan was too sick to get up for the parade...so we waited until a little later and just took him to see Santa (got pictures), went to Casa Chic for an ornament but by that time people were cold, hungry and Ryan was tired. It was a fun morning over all!

The rest of our traditions are more centered around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We start by following Santa on the Marine Corps tracking web site as he visits the rest of the world. We eat Christmas Eve dinner by candle light (something special), then we spend the evening baking Christmas goodies, the boys open their Christmas pajamas, get a bath and head to bed. Then Todd and I spend the evening watching Christmas movies and setting Christmas up (wrapping gifts, filling stockings and getting gifts "ready"). We head to bed at about 2 am. Christmas morning we all get up, head down stairs, the boys open their stockings while we put coffee on *grin* and then they're allowed to open their gifts. Although they usually just want to play with the one they open first and stop *giggle* We'll have to be very careful this year what gifts they open first, so they don't get the Nintendo DS first (it'd be all over from there). We then have a big brunch of muffins, rolls, eggs, sausage, bacon, and anything else requested! We spend some time hanging out and then head to my Mom's (we make a quick stop at the cemetery to see my Dad and Braden). We hang with my Mom until we all head to my Grandma Sweet's house and spend the rest of the day.

Some of this varies depending on what my Mom works out with my siblings and their families. Sometimes we get together Christmas Eve and sometimes Christmas evening...they drive me nuts but what can you do *shrugs*

We have other traditions...3 gifts from Santa, and such...we intended for that to be an unspoken tradition but so much of my family goes over board that I sometimes feel the need to defend our lack of gifts under the tree...not that my children have ever minded...

This Christmas is one I'm really looking forward to! Ryan will get the fun and Lane Michael and Ethan will get everything on their list!

Lane Michael from Santa:
Nintendo DS
scooter (Lane Michael can't ride a bike)
BB gun (ugh)
Lane Michael from the 'Rents:
MP3 player stocked with great tunes!

Ethan from Santa:
Nintendo DS
bike
BB gun
Ethan from the 'Rents:
MP3 player stocked with great tunes!

Ryan from Santa:
play house
kitchen
food

Ryan from the 'Rents:
grocery cart

Todd and I aren't exchanging gifts this year in an effort to save up for our pending vaca!

Three was Good Enough for Jesus.

Yes I know that the Wise men didn't show up the day after Jesus was born to shower him with gifts, I know he was closer to two years old by the time they got to him (give the guys a break, they were probably old and it was a really long trip), any way, they brought with them gifts for the Savior. Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. Three gifts...good enough for Jesus, good enough for my kids. Last year after reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and snuggling our little boys into their toddler beds, Todd and I headed down stairs to get Christmas ready, we wrapped gifts, assembled scooters and after hours of hard work and Christmas movies, we stood back and admired our work. It was beautiful, the tree glowed and the shiny paper twinkled in the dimly lit room. And I counted...17 gifts each, and thought to myself "is 17 enough?" it was a wake up call and a shameful moment of parenthood. I had become that parent, the one that materializes Christmas, the most sacred of days, equalled only by Easter, and I had made it into an excuse to give my kids toys. I had used it against them, to gain good behavior and in turn given them gifts...stuff they would never use and hadn't asked for. I was ashamed of myself. So, from this, we have learned and made some decisions regarding Christmas. From now on, each of our children will get three good gifts that they have asked for specifically. We will spend a set dollar amount and will stick to it. Instead of spending the morning opening 17 gifts, we will get up, get down stockings, go through them, have breakfast...each helping to prepare it, open gifts, listen to music and watch a Christmas movie or show and then we will take out time to do a Bible study, say a prayer of thanksgiving and wish Jesus a happy birthday. We will remember and instill the true meaning of Christmas. I'm so excited! This year, instead of buying anything I can think of that they might like, I will put thought into each gift, knowing that I have to make it count, I only have three slots, use them wisely. Now for anyone who thinks this is mean and/or cruel, please know that my children then get cash for their birthday (January 24) quickly followed by a trip to the toy store where they can choose anything we forgot or decided against, they love it and so do we!!