(no subject)

[mommydama]

Everything is crazy here and mostly fun. Of course, there is some angst thrown in, but I'm going to do my best not to write about it. I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing my sisters and their kids. I'm keeping up with the reading of the flist, but not so much on the commenting. Just wanted to make sure I didn't go a whole week without writing anything.

The girls got obscene amount of totally unnecessary gifts. I have no idea how we are going to haul this stuff home. I have some exchanging/returning to do. I'm hoping I can get that done before we head home.

This a boring entry, but I don't really have a lot of time. Sorry. Got to round up the troops and head from here (my parents' house) back to Brad's parents' house for the night.

Comments

[justamy.livejournal.com]

being a member of an extended family who gives a lot of gifts to the few kiddos we have in the family, i can say this:
giving presents to far away kiddos makes us very happy! i know that GIVING is not the same as loving. but we DO love. we just don't get an every day outlet to show it, you know? so, on those days when all i want is a smooch from caroline or an "i love to the moon times infinity" from oskar, shopping for things that remind me of them and thinking of the smiles i will get when i see them (and usually, the REASON for seeing them is a gift giving occasion) keeps me feeling close.

i KNOW it's hard for you to have a materialistic holiday, and i really commend you for trying to keep your girls away from "the church of STUFF". just remember that it's also really hard for us extenders to show our love when we're away from the kids and can't hug and kiss them every day. usually, we're WISHING we could hug and kiss as we buy. :)

i REALLY want you to come for lunch or dinner this week. call my cell!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I am right there with you, about the gifts. We had 10 things to give to the homeless shelter unopened (from packaging, they weren't wrapped anymore) simply because they were exact duplicates of things we either got from someone else, or already owned. And a huge garbage bag for Goodwill, or things we already owned, because we have to prioritize. And even still...*sigh* I know a lot of people show love through gifts, and I know people who don't have any kids at home especially get excited about buying for kids - but there are very real practical limits to what we can STORE here in this house! When my grandparents get each child 15+ things, and my mother gets them each 8-9, and my mother in law gets them all 5-6, and Grant Sr gets them all 3-4...my three oldest SHARE ONE ROOM!!

I wish so much that people could understand the very real and very useful need and desire for savings bonds, or charity donations, or both, just to cut back a tiny bit on the tangible "stuff". But my requests for those things, when I'm asked for lists, go ignored every year because they just "aren't any fun". And I feel guilty saying this, you know, I feel ungrateful and selfish...but I don't mean to be that way. I just don't know. We are actually going to have to rent a u-haul tow behind next year with another baby if we are going to get the presents home, and I can't help but see that as ridiculous.