Iowa
Monday, December 15, 2008
Ho, Ho, Ho
Sunday dinner as usual. Well, maybe not quite so usual. I had more of an opportunity to watch children tonight. Between the Steelers game, that is. Whew, I can't deal with Ben waiting until the last five minutes to win the game...two minutes, actually. The kids are excited about the pending Christmas. It's fun to watch them. And then there is the flying elf, or whatever he/she is. Apparently, an elf that can fly about the house every night and watches over the children in the home to see if they should get gifts. (Wonder if he/she watches the adults going absolutely nuts and saying words that....well, aren't exactly in the spirit of Christmas.) And the children are not supposed to know from where he/she watches. But they look for the elf every morning, and if they find the elf, then I guess they can be bad in every other room in the house. Who knows, but it is funny to see them when they discover the elf. And Monkeyboy keeps adding to his Christmas list, which of course, is growing by the hour. We do a gift exchange where everyone buys a gift for $25. We put them in the middle of the floor and pick a number. If you get number 1 you go first and pick a present. Number 2 has the option of taking your gift or picking a new one, and so on. I, of course, always buy the best gift in the world which everyone wants. One year it was an ice scraper that you plug into your cigarette lighter. Mippy got that one. Shortly after she got it, there was a recall that stated you could get shocked with it. I called to tell her immediately, but her response was, "I gave it to co-worker as a re-gift." I suggested that she tell her co-worker immediately, and she replied that she didn't care, she didn't like her anyway. I believe it was last year that I gave postage stamps with my picture on them. Then there was the year that I gave the large autographed picture of myself. The picture frame was exquisite. I later gave the same present (Bird must have given it back to me) at our office party, and it was received with equal delight. I gave it back to someone in their family and it is hidden behind the cute pictures of the kids on the mantle, right beside the Elvis ceramic head that Monkeyboy painted and had glazed, an art object if there ever was one. Bird usually gets my gift, because he knows I give the best one. Bean got a really beautiful plate and mug and I got that one year (picture at the right). It couldn't compare to the postage stamps, but it was something that I treasure. So, I have to think of what my contribution will be this year. Something, no doubt, that will be THE BEST EVER present.
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11 comments:
Truly laughing out loud. Our family does a grab bag with the adults. We pick names at Thanksgiving and have a $15 limit, which is down this year. We also decided that next year we would do away with the grab bag since no one has any money! And the gifts, while fun, are not all that great. I mean, what the heck can you get for $15 anymore, anyway??
We buy for all the kids in the extended family, but a grab bag also for the adults. We encourage the kids to make gifts for the adults, and actually have some fun doing it. We regift also, and one time forgot and gave it back to the same person. They laughed about it and said they would regift it next year, which they did...to us! Isn't Christmas wonderful?
I buy for all the kids, it's the only legitimate reason I have to buy the toys I want to have. And it gives me an excuse to play with them as I teach them the game, etc. Christmas at my parents house is chaotic, but fun. Lots of food, lots of friends stopping by and most of all, lots of love. Mia, you don't have to buy for me this year, really.
Mia, I'm with Ben, I'll pass on a present from you this year also, although they sound like, well, special gifts. I especially like the autographed picture of yourself, and the postage stamps run a close second. Actually, that is a good idea for someone, but perhaps a picture of their children or a family picture. But, hey, if you want to give one of yourself, why not? Again, I don't need a present this year, Mia. You don't need to worry about Ben and I, no sireee. (An ice-scraper that shocks people???)
I know how you love NYC, Mia. You should come up during the holidays, it is the best time of the year for NYC. If you like crowds and the holiday spirit. I stay pretty much out of the city except for one day. I get up early, hop the subway and spend morning till night shopping. I did most of my shopping on line, so it alleviated the necessity for running around like crazy. My neice knows the story of the flying elf. She wakes up with the anticipation of finding it every morning. My sister is thinking about using it all year around.
Mia DOES give great personalized gifts. I'd tell you about the calendars I have received but well....it's a family show!
And Ben, does this mean I have to keep cheering because the Stillerz are in the WORLD SERIES? What do city kitty kats do during the holidays Tigger?
Warm thoughts to all throughout this Holiday Season.
This is a great post, Mia. And by the number of comments, it looks as though people wait for you post to happen. Maybe you should be a journalist with a column in a newspaper. Your blog is amusing, and thought provoking. I have to say, your gifts are, shall we say, personalized? And I am sure there are many fights over who gets Mia's gifts. I'll stand back and let the others fight.
Psst, Kitty, it's not the world series, it's the super bowl. I'll get my baton, you get your pom pom's and we will continue the rah rah's until the SUPER BOWL.
My family does a grab bag each year and I am very excited because we do it in January (which extends Christmas a little bit) and I am having it at my new house, now that more than three people fit at a time. Jen... the game Apples to Apples is on sale at Walmart for about 15 bucks. Totally worth it. Other fun, family gathering games for cheap - Catchphrase and Yahtzee!
Miss you at work Mia!
So, one would ask, who gets the re-gift of your autographed picture this year?
Never heard of the flying elf. I didn't grow up with that and neither did my kids.
Some people also put their shoes out on St. Nick day and gifts were put in them. Also, not one of our traditions.
One thing we did was not put the tree up until the kids were asleep on Christmas Eve. Believe me, that was a chore and also getting all the toys together and hope you didn't have any left over pieces.
We got to bed about 3 hours before the kids got up. Those were the days so if you still have those traditions, enjoy them while you can.
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