I do not know who is more excited about Christmas this year. Me or the kids.
As a follower of Jesus I know I am supposed to focus on the birth of Christ this holiday season and all that that means, but truth be told, I get more wrapped up in the Santa part of the season. I know that sounds terrible, but it is my truth.
Throughout the year my kids don't get a lot of stuff. I don't buy them toys, gadgets, or other things. My one weakness in this category is books, and if we have rented a book from the library first and found it to be worthy I will generally buy a used copy of the book at Abebooks.com or Amazon.com.
We buy 99% of our clothes second hand (with the exception of socks and under garments) both for the ecological factor, but mostly because of the cost factor. When new things do make it through the door of our home via birthday or Christmas gifts the older children pass down their items to the younger ones as they outgrow these items. New shoes are bought only when absolutely necessary and even those get recycled down to the younger kids. Everyone has two pair of shoes with the exception of the girls who may have three depending on the time of year. The kids have a pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals. The girls, on occasion, may have a third pair of dressy shoes like fashion boots or slip on shoes.
I would like to think that I am not a very materialistic person, and I would like to raise my children with this same value. I think it is one of the most important gifts I can give them as a parent.
That being said, I still get giddy with excitement each Christmas because it is the one time of year that Santa will bring new things through the door. Not things that are needed (although those are included too), but things that are wanted.
It is so much fun watching as the kids lists unfold throughout the course of November and the beginning of December. Each of the kids seem to write several lists - the younger ones writing what seem like a dozen or more - and then they turn in their final lists to be mailed to Santa in the second week of December.
My boys asked for very little this year. They are well aware that we are a single income family living in a very expensive part of the country. Their lists were maybe 5 things at the most. They were frugal in their selections with each of them asking for just one item that was a little bit pricey. This thoughtfulness of course made me want to double and triple their gifts - if only I could find a money tree somewhere with which to magically produce a bigger budget than I have. Sarah's list too was smaller than it usually is as she makes the transition from little girl to a young lady. Her list was well thought out as she straddles the space of Believer and Unbeliever. Elizabeth with all of the innocence of a child had a list that was double and triple of what her siblings asked for. I smiled many times as I watched the list change and change again with each revision making sure to keep a close eye on the items that seemed to remain on those dozen or so lists consistently.
I made sure to have a small budget for Bob and I to get each other a little something this year too. Some years we are able to get each other gifts and some years we are not. It just depends on the available funds on any given year. Normally, we would rather give to others than to ourselves, but given that I am on a tight budget while living in Portland I decided that there were some luxuries that I would love to be gifted this year and made a small list accordingly. I knew that I was going to allot a budget for Bob and I this year so I have been making a mental list of gifts I knew that Bob would love/need. I purchased those and am very excited to watch him open his presents this year. (I am majorly excited about one gift in particular which will only improve my status as best wife ever in his eyes. Never mind the fact that I am his only wife - I think. Actually, I know. He can't handle me half the time. He certainly isn't going to add to his misery.)
Santa was able to score some good deals on some of the items asked for which allowed him to buy a few more items than initially thought. I think everyone of the kids is going to be pleasantly surprised this year with what is under the tree for them.
The best part of Christmas this year for me is going to be watching them open their gifts. It always is, but this year particularly so as they all know (with the exception of Elizabeth) that money is tight and will be until May 23th when our year commitment is up here and we can start looking for our next adventure. (But who's counting, right? Certainly, not this gal. Ha!)
This year is going to be special because when they open their gifts they will know that they are getting a bit more than they asked for, and they will know that decisions were made to spend the extra money on them when it didn't have to be. I know that more than the gifts themselves, they will appreciate the fact that they know how hard their Dad works to make sure that they can have an extra special Christmas. THAT appreciation is worth all of the sacrifice and hard work we have put in these last 6 months to make living here on a single family income viable.
To have humble appreciative kids is a blessing and a true gift in and of itself. I am thankful that I get to borrow four of them and to be able to call them my children.
As for our plans for this weekend, we are most likely going to hike tomorrow morning. Then we are going to head to a really cool nickel arcade in the afternoon. We will have a nice dinner at home before heading out to Peacock Lane to check out a neighborhood in southeast Portland well known for their Christmas lights. We will come home and watch my all time favorite Christmas movie - The Polar Express. Finally, I will read them The Night Before Christmas an honor that was originally bestowed upon Bob from my father, but got passed on to me when the kids booted Bob from the job for his lack of book reading out loud skills. I am honored to carry on the tradition as it is something that connects me to my father and my kids to me.
The kids are trying to get Bob and I to allow them to wake us up at 6 am on Christmas to open gifts. We are still in talks about that as Bob and I would love to sleep in a bit more. At the same token I am excited that they are still excited and want to get up super early still even though we are well past the normal threshold of childhood Christmas excitement given their ages. I am thankful that even though they are growing old that they all still believe in the spirit of Christmas. To borrow a concept from the Polar Express - I hope that the bell will ring for all four of them even as they grow old.
Merry Christmas to you all!
(And for those of you that I know and love - Happy Hanukkah/Chanukah!)
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