Am I Turning into Scrooge???

Sorry, but I am not excited about gift giving this year.  Yes, I love to bless those around me, but I’m starting to realize that maybe my spiritual gift is not gifts.  I would rather spend time doing some family/bonding/memory/making activity that will last in my children’s minds forever!  Seriously, what did we buy them last year that they are still using? The question is semi-unfair as we went to our homeland, Canada, last year for Christmas.  Being in the desert in the Southwest, we had to buy warm clothes, long pants and shoes for the kids and we kept telling them the vacation to another country WAS their gift.  :o)

See?!  What a great memory!

Our then 9-year-old daughter was DYING to get this set/book where she could draw outfits for dolls.  She LOVED it to death… I think it took about 21 days.  I haven’t seen it in almost a year.  We also got her a fat, purple and pink sparkly piggy bank that she spied in Walmart.  She was DYING to have a place to put her money…. AND would accentuate her pretty bedroom. I’m fairly certain the pig has been vacationing with the naked dolls that still need dresses since late February.  If the Popsicle man ever comes by in July/August and my wallet is empty, I need to remember to look for that pig.

My then 16-year-old son was DYING to have this totally overpriced black with lime green stripe cooler-than-cool jacket.  It is a close fitting, non-waterproof, zip-up, and being in Arizona I’m giving him a bit more grace than his little sister for not using it A LOT.  I did see the lime green coolness trying to peek out from a pile of clothes on the floor in his room.  I’m not sure if he wore it or if it fell off the hanger?  Then Dec. 16th, we crossed over the Sierra Nevadas in a snow storm…  pulled into the first ROSS we found and bought him a more suitable winter jacket.  Jacket #2 has been in the winter clothing box in the garage since January 2nd.

My then 14-year-son, who was DYING for concert tickets or iTunes gift-cards, got a mountain bike.  My husband bought it hoping for father-son bonding times, which did happen a few times last January and February.  Now, said son HAS used the bike and he does take care of the bike, but he rides his longboard 9 out of 10 days of the week.  Recently I asked him what we got him for Christmas last year… long pause… “Concert tickets or something?”  Um, no, but we probably should have.

My then 19-year-old got the most useful, but not necessarily fun gift…. an orange suitcase of her very own.  She was leaving for college in January and it turned into a necessity as I realized if I didn’t buy her one, she would be taking one of mine.  All that said, she LOVES orange and LOVED it…. AND she took one of mine anyway.  She also opened a brand new shiny pair of Nike tennis shoes, as some sort of athletic course at school was in her near future.  I’m positive that the Nikes won the “Most Used” Christmas gift of 2012.

Rick and I got a nice shiny red van for Christmas… that I crashed three months later.  Boooo Hissssss.  At least I remember what we received!!!

Do you remember what you bought everyone last year?  Do you remember what you received?

Christmas Wish Lists

Calm down.  I realize some of you think it’s selfish and greedy to make a Christmas Wish List, but hear me out.  Old folks don’t know what to buy for young folks.  Young folks don’t know what to buy for old folks.  It’s not like we’re writing Porsche or gigantic flat screen TV on our lists.  And for goodness sake, you have to know the name of the game system, or you’ll be a sad pile of tears in Game Stop.  Believe me, I’ve shed a few in there.

Our youngest son’s Christmas Wish Lists are always my favorite.  I save them every year.  One year his list included: lime green mini Sharpie permanent pen, cardboard to make guitars, Batman bubblegum toothpaste, lime green spray paint and a jump rope with rubber handles.  See?  One trip to Wally World and seven bucks later, the boy got everything on the list.

Our 15 year old daughter produced a wish list about 8 or 9 years ago that included white envelopes and scotch tape.  I love it!  She got smart this year and only put two things on her list… a cell phone and perfume.  She got both.  I wasn’t aware that you can buy a phone for $21 and then the owner has to prepay all the minutes!  Sweet!  (Yes, we did buy her some minutes to call home in case of emergency.)

One year I made a detailed list with pictures of specific scrapbooking materials.  Rick went into the scrap store and just handed the list to the lady.  It saved him time and I don’t get real roses dipped in gold anymore.  (Yes, it’s true.)

Another year, I made my list complete with pictures, and then a week before Christmas, Rick told me he was taking me to -50* Saskatchewan for New Years.  I asked for my list back.  I crossed off everything and wrote PARKA in big letters.  I still have the parka…. and I wear it weekly at the arena.

This year I received a gift that I would never have thought of for my wish list…. it’s a 15 minute spot on a local radio station.  It sort of put me in panic mode… because it’s live and you have to be on your game.  I’ve been fighting sinus pressure and I’m no where near my game.  I don’t even know where my game is, let alone be on it.  But the date was chosen for the 16th of Jan…. so I have time to find my game.

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