I think I need a Christmas mental makeover-

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

My parents had the most hideous fake Christmas tree ever. It rotated when it was plugged in and played various carols in beeping noises.

I want to get a silver aluminum tree on a rotating stand with one of those cheesy color wheels to light it up.

For some reason, I don't think Susan will let me.

Originally Posted by Snowflake

My mother had a fake tree that had recirculating fake snow (tiny eeney beeny styrofoam balls) and at the bottom of the tree was basically a cardboard trough and the vacuum thing would suck them back up the central tube to fall again. Our poodle loved to leap into the trough and the damned little styrofoam balls would get all over the house/ This was a full size tree, btw.

Okay, I want to get a silver aluminum tree on a rotating stand with one of those cheesy color wheels to light it up and SNOW floating down it (and gets all around our house so that it makes a mess and our cats ingest it and make all sorts of weird poop).

[Not Afraid]

I just want an aluminum tree.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Okay, I want to get a silver aluminum tree on a rotating stand with one of those cheesy color wheels to light it up and SNOW floating down it (and gets all around our house so that it makes a mess and our cats ingest it and make all sorts of weird poop).

Hahahaha!!! You made me laugh. I can't don't want to imagine cat poop with styrofoam. It was bad enough picking it off the cat. I don't want to think about her eating it.

[Mousey Girl]

My mom once mentioned that she wanted a tacky tinsel tree. This year Boy and I were at Michaels and found 2' tree in hot pink. She loves it.

We had to decorate our desks at work for a contest. I know I didn't win, but it sure was fun.

[Nephythys]

Here's the thing-it should not matter if there is less under the tree if it is gifts they really want.

Right?

WHAT is wrong with me that I can't stop feeling bad that I don't have a couple grand to spend on my family for Christmas? I look at the little pile of gifts and feel bad but in those gifts is plenty of $$-

I bought my parents the biggest gift this year- they have done SO much for me and for us- my brother and I went in on a combo gift. I bought them a Wii and a game from my kids- he bought them two games, a Wii Mote and a Nunchuck- so they have 4 games to play and two controllers. We want to make this special for them and neither of us want much this year anyway-

Ian- XBox 360 game-Spiderman Friend or Foe and the Spiderman 3 special DVD set.

Braden- so far just a PS2 game- Darkwatch- that he has been asking for for ages.

Rose- got her the High School Musical game for the Wii- comes with a mic and you can sing all the songs from the movies. I also got her the Bratz movie.

Davis is on hiatus- he is not here so I am not going to spend $$ on him. I have time to get him something before he gets home.

I grabbed a DVD set that Ria has been asking for-

So far I have nothing for my brother and his wife, and I need one more thing for Braden and Ria-I am giving framed pictures of our family to his two sets of parents, my two grandfathers and my parents.

Got a few fun things for stockings- and I am going to get a family gift- I am thinking of a game for our 360- Scene It?

So when you add up the games and all- it adds up. They are NICE gifts- just not ALOT of them.

I think this is going to haunt me til Christmas is over. I talked to Braden about it yesterday and he did not seem to mind less gifts-

Maybe it is just me.... my kids keep looking under the tree and getting all excited about what is in the gifts- they are not looking at the tree going "where is everything?".....

My dumb puppy gobbled up the wrapping on one of Rose's gifts- stepped all over it. Lucky it was just the box she smooshed. *sigh*

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by Mousey Girl

I know it isn't about the stuff, but at the same time he came home a bit hurt. He is old enough to know that his is the only b-day over there that gets short changed because it is near Christmas.

Funny you should say this, as it reminds me of a scenario I came across when I was younger. Nickolas' situation is much harder for him to cope with (because of the other family stuff that's been going on), but I think you'll see the similarities.

All of us grandkids were hunky dory. It's not as though we ever got a crapton of gifts or anything, but it was all pretty good. On my dad's side of the family, my youngest aunt was always the favored one, the one my grandma got to (in a sense) live her missed life vicariously through. Everyone else was a black sheep of sorts, but it was okay, since everything always seemed pretty equitable. Every year for my birthday, I got a card. I'd learned not to expect anything from my father, because he was a flake, but his family always came through and helped me to feel loved.

My cousin, daughter of the favored aunt, who I love and adore comes along. Understandably, there was a hubbub at that first Christmas, since she was born the week before, but it was the following year that caught me off-guard. No card, on my birthday, no gifts at Christmas, no calls. No one came out and said it, but I knew at 12 what was up, and it hurt. It's not even like I needed the material things, but I felt totally forgotten because now there was someone new and exciting around, and since I was in growing up in Michigan, I was easy to forget.

It was then that I realized that gifts weren't the thing to be worried about in life. Sure, that side of the family is still super-gifty, but I don't really sweat it. I live here now and though I'm remembered, I'm told about things as an after-thought. I've never really gotten as much as other cousins on that side, and I've just gotten over it. I've created a personality around being the undemanding one (the one that doesn't borrow a few grand in an emergency) and in the end, I'm just not as close to that side (maybe because I'm not spending time over there sucking up for money).

I hope that Nick isn't forgotten. I was resentful not because of the gifts but because of the comparison... the change in my reality. I didn't really say anything about it, but I was hurt. Don't feel bad about wanting to buy him more, but I caution anyone against getting too much. I've seen what's happened with my mom and my sisters, wherein my mom buys way too much crap to keep my sisters "happy" (which they're not) after all the drama of the last 7 or so years.

I'll be thinking of you.

And Nephy ---- CAN I BE YOUR KID??

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by blueerica

And Nephy ---- CAN I BE YOUR KID??

This year don't you mean "can I be your parent?"


The kids gifts are cool- my parents gift is amazing.

[wendybeth]

It's going to be totally hard to not succumb to the Dudley Syndrome, but I am determined to stick it out, particularly after spending a huge amount of time cleaning out the Girl's second bedroom. (Yes, it was full of barely used or broken crap).

[BarTopDancer]

I won't object if anyone wants to buy me a Wii.

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

This year don't you mean "can I be your parent?"


The kids gifts are cool- my parents gift is amazing.

Good point!