Parenting Chat Thread #4 (babies, toys, parents, clothes)

[JustJulia]

I do agree that a Christmas ornament can be sweet. My sister-in-law decorates two trees every year, a big one in the living room, and a smaller one in the family room with all the kids' ornaments, given and made. It's cute.

My mom has an ornament I made in preschool, a dough reindeer that looks like it was made in the dark with one hand , and its twig antlers have been broken over the years so it's reeeally sad looking (it has a Y for each antler and that's about it), but it makes her smile. She doesn't get it out much anymore because of the twigs.

I also made my dad an ashtray for Father's Day, same preschool. My dad has never smoked. LOL!

Last year, my uncle got a recordable The Night Before Christmas book from Hallmark, and he had my whole family back in California read a page to the kids. I thought that was a very nice present, and I am doing the same thing with Guess How Much I Love You for my nephew. (Who is three today, wow!)

[UNC4Me]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

I do agree that a Christmas ornament can be sweet. My sister-in-law decorates two trees every year, a big one in the living room, and a smaller one in the family room with all the kids' ornaments, given and made. It's cute.

My mom has an ornament I made in preschool, a dough reindeer that looks like it was made in the dark with one hand , and its twig antlers have been broken over the years so it's reeeally sad looking (it has a Y for each antler and that's about it), but it makes her smile. She doesn't get it out much anymore because of the twigs.

I also made my dad an ashtray for Father's Day, same preschool. My dad has never smoked. LOL!

Last year, my uncle got a recordable The Night Before Christmas book from Hallmark, and he had my whole family back in California read a page to the kids. I thought that was a very nice present, and I am doing the same thing with Guess How Much I Love You for my nephew. (Who is three today, wow!)

Those are my FAVORITE ones! I have some really sad ones my kids made in school or Sunday school. Or the home craft projects we did over the years on cold, snowy or rainy December days. They're not winning any design contests, but I love them all the same.

[Mattie]

I am the one who insists on ruining my husband's perfectly color coordinated tree every year by adding the nursery school type ornaments. The more lopsided, the better.

I was given a silver feeding spoon for my middle boy, and he still uses it to eat ice cream now that he is 20. Tiffany has some things that aren't too expensive, and come so beautifully packaged, such as piggy banks and feeding spoons. They become heirlooms.

[JustJulia]

For my son's birth, my grandmother gave him a heavy, beautiful sterling silver piggy bank in the shape of Noah's Ark. It's engraved with his name and birthdate. The wrong birthdate, unfortunately.

[Hopes]

I haven't put up a Christmas tree in years.

I'm thinking of giving my ornaments and decorations to my little sister since 25% of them were my parents and she's the sibling who still has young children.

I felt like a hypocrite when I decorated for Christmas, but I enthusiastically did it for my children. They're adults now who aren't religious either so there's no point.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I haven't put up a Christmas tree in years.

I'm thinking of giving my ornaments and decorations to my little sister since 25% of them were my parents and she's the sibling who still has young children.

I felt like a hypocrite when I decorated for Christmas, but I enthusiastically did it for my children. They're adults now who aren't religious either so there's no point.

Do you do gifts or dinner or anything at Christmas, or just treat it like another day? Just wondering. I wish the commercial part of Christmas hadn't been mixed with the religious part.

[Kibbiekat]

LO6 is "star student" this week. Over fall break I got photos printed, bought items for the estimation jar, helped him complete his poster about himself, and put it all in his backpack for today. He gets to school, the teacher asks him about his poster, and he says he doesn't have it!!! this kind of crap makes me so mad! He came home with everything still in his back pack!

[txtqueen]

I can't stand THAT thread.
We might as well call haircuts gateway self-expressions, might lead to hair dye and piercings. OH MY!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

Do you do gifts or dinner or anything at Christmas, or just treat it like another day? Just wondering. I wish the commercial part of Christmas hadn't been mixed with the religious part.

We have dinner at a friend's house every Christmas Eve. That's the part of our traditions I like. Christmas day is divided up between hubby's family and my family, which I've always dreaded. But I'm not planning to go to my sister's house this year. I'm not sure if I'll go with hubby to his family or not. If our son is working at a resort, we'll most likely spend the holiday at the resort.

We buy small gifts for neices and nephews. Not long ago, we had to buy gifts for everyone but I finally got hubby to agree to stand our ground and stop that madness because we were buying for 30 or 40 people until just two years ago. Of course, we buy substantial gifts for our children because they're our children. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts with each other.

Most of what we do is out of obligation and pressure from outside of our family. I'd prefer we simply went to our friend's house for Christmas Eve and then stayed home with our children on Christmas day having a special dinner. That would be my ideal Christmas.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by txtqueen

I can't stand THAT thread.
We might as well call haircuts gateway self-expressions, might lead to hair dye and piercings. OH MY!

how's your arm? Are you moving out soon?