Gifts times 12
I think we may be ready to celebrate Christmas on time. I still have a few gifts to buy, but the majority are either here or on their way. What I have left doesn't feel overwhelming. I have been told (repeatedly) that I need to set up the gift wrapping station, so that will probably happen in the next couple of days. Amazingly it all seems manageable. This is not always true at a week away from Christmas. I'm enjoying it.
One thing that has made a huge different, I think, is changing the amount of gifts we are giving. In the past, J. and I have given each child three gifts each, plus stockings and Christmas pajamas. I know that seems rather modest to many people, but when you multiply that by 12, it's a lot. A lot of planning, a lot of shopping, a lot of wrapping. I looked at the budget a couple of months ago, and realized that something would have to give. Since truly no one really needs anything, I decided that we would drop down to two gifts per person, one of those gifts being more modest, such as a book. I broke the news to everyone before Thanksgiving, and it was one of those announcements that didn't need the amount of emotional energy I gave to it. People were pretty much like, "Oh, okay," and moved on.
While I knew my checkbook would be happier with twelve less gifts to buy, what I didn't anticipate is just how much easier in general, it has made Christmas. I'm kind of wondering why I didn't do this years ago. It has freed up time and resources so that I'm now busy planning fun things to do. It was a very good decision.
And don't worry, no one will go lacking. I'm just talking about gifts from me and J. to the children. The grown children and those with jobs have been busy shopping and wrapping and planning for everyone as well. It will be a very merry Christmas.
One thing that has made a huge different, I think, is changing the amount of gifts we are giving. In the past, J. and I have given each child three gifts each, plus stockings and Christmas pajamas. I know that seems rather modest to many people, but when you multiply that by 12, it's a lot. A lot of planning, a lot of shopping, a lot of wrapping. I looked at the budget a couple of months ago, and realized that something would have to give. Since truly no one really needs anything, I decided that we would drop down to two gifts per person, one of those gifts being more modest, such as a book. I broke the news to everyone before Thanksgiving, and it was one of those announcements that didn't need the amount of emotional energy I gave to it. People were pretty much like, "Oh, okay," and moved on.
While I knew my checkbook would be happier with twelve less gifts to buy, what I didn't anticipate is just how much easier in general, it has made Christmas. I'm kind of wondering why I didn't do this years ago. It has freed up time and resources so that I'm now busy planning fun things to do. It was a very good decision.
And don't worry, no one will go lacking. I'm just talking about gifts from me and J. to the children. The grown children and those with jobs have been busy shopping and wrapping and planning for everyone as well. It will be a very merry Christmas.
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