Christmas is over!

Wow...what a week. The last time that I wrote I was pretty bah humbug, but the more I think about it, and especially after experiencing it, the more I think that Christmas needs to be simplified. Listen, I live within 3 miles of my parents, my in-laws, my wife's grandmother, and within 10 miles of my grandmother. Now some people out there might be saying, "oh how nice, they all live close by, it must be great". I will admit that in a pinch it's nice to have family so close, they help with babysitting and with just about everything we need, but the downside is the holidays.

Let me lay it all out there for you.
5:30 AM - Wake up with kids to do our Christmas morning. This is great. I love seeing the excitement and the magic on the face of my two young children (Madison 5 and Carter 2) they can't open presents fast enough...Good thing considering what's coming up.

7:30 AM - Start getting the kids ready to head to one Grandma and Grandpa's house. Wea all agreed to meet at 8:00 we get there early because they are always waiting on us. In the end we don't get started until almost 8:30. Grandma and Grandpa's is always tough, because I was the oldest so the kids are still there and they get cool gifts. I get a camp stove, my brothers get a ping pong table. Madison and Carter get all the candy and junkfood they want. Buy maybe they will eventually crash after the sugar high.

9:30 AM - Another Grandma and Grandpa's house...More junk food, even more gifts (this Gma and Gpa spend more money and buy all kinds of stuff). Christmas at this house is more like chaos then Christmas, there is stuff everywhere and the kids end up with just as much if not more then we got for them. I get mixed emotions here, it's great that my kids get spoiled, but when they are older, the kids are gonna like Christmas at this Gma and Gpa better than home. Oh and the kids are starting to show how tired they are from getting up so early.

11:30 AM - Off to my grandmother's house for breakfast and opening gifts exchanged with the extended family. This one is tough to swallow, when I was younger it was great, more presents more fun. That was before I had to actually buy the presents. I am not kidding when I say that we spend more money on Christmas for all of the parents, grandparents, cousins and crap then I do my own kids? What is up with that? Plus everyone is getting to the point that the excitement is gone. All we usually end up getting is a gift card. What's so special about exchanging a gift card. Basically it says...you were my last gift and I was shopped out and didn't care anymore. Here you go! Of course I can't complain...I got my cousin...a giftcard.

1:30 PM - Home...finally. Both kids are exhausted and ornery, but won't go to sleep because they finally get a chance to look over all the things they have. Wife and I don't get to rest because we have had a bomb go off in the house and need to get things organized.

3:30 PM - Time to get the kids ready for the second extended family visit of the day. Kids are really ornery, I am really ornery and the wife looks like she is asleep on her feet...wait a second...

This family is probably the most difficult to deal with. Grandma is great, but it's really only two members of the family, my in-laws and the sister. The problem is...the sister and her family don't meet together seperatley, they all come and exchange their gifts at the same time we exchange our gifts. So while my kids each get two presents (one from great grandma B and one from a cousin) all the other little kids get 4-5 presents. How do you explain this to a 5 year old. Especially when she is the last one to get a gift. I know it's better to give than to receive...but not when you are 5.

5:30 PM - Leave extended family to go and have dinner with the parents. Of course as soon as we get there, the in-laws are asking us if we are going to come over and spend some time with them tonight...Yeah right...we have had enough family to last us the whole year.

9:30 PM - Head home and crash after walking in the front door. Man...it's a good thing Christmas only comes once a year. I don't think I could tolerate this twice.

Last year we tried to tell everyone that we were going to spend time as a family and avoid the extended family get togethers. We received several phone calls stating that Christmas is time for everyone to get together. If Christmas is about extend family...and adhering to the schedule above...BAH HUMBUG!

I want time to spend with my kids, to teach them the true spirit of Christmas. Let them experience what others are lacking. I made a suggestion that was met with much criticism. Next year instead of the extended family exchanging gifts...let's pool our money together and give it to a needy family. The dollar amount would be in excess of $500.00. I know of several families that live nearby who have lost the primary source of income due to layoffs. They didn't get a Christmas, I couldn't help because I have to buy gift cards!

New to blogging

Okay, so this is actually the first time that I have ever written in a blog, so if it seems awkward there's a reason.

This holiday season marks my 5th as a parent, and the Christmas season seems to have changed so much for me. Christmas excitement is now all about the kids. I have found that I really don't want anything for Christmas, when asked I had a hard time coming up with new things that were fun and exciting. I found myself asking for clothing. How boring is that? But this year especially, with the economic times, I found myself telling those around me to just give me money, so I can add to savings and prepare for tough times.

With only 3 days left until Christmas morning, we have completed all of our holiday shopping, (thank goodness) and now I find myself waiting for the day to come and go. I am trying hard not to bah humbug the whole season, but with things that have happened in the last year, I am just a little less gung-ho about spending all of our money on gifts that we may not use or need. I love the Christmas season and the joy that it brings to my children, but this year, it seems more excessive than years past, even though we are spending less money.

Well enough about the holidays. Friday December 19th I was able to attend a commissioning ceremony for my brother-in-law who is taking my sister far away from with the Air Force. I had the awesome opportunity to hear from several people who are so impassioned with our country and the defense of this country that it made me feel guilty that I never served the country that has served me so much. There were an amazing amount of statistics that were given regarding the percentage of the population that have volunteered to defend this country. Does this mean we are an ungrateful nation? I think that sometimes we forget to show our gratitude. I for one find that I put my flag out on certain holidays (okay I pay the Boy Scouts to put a flag out on certain holidays). But what do I do to show my patriotism? I think that's one of my New Years Resolutions for next year. It's gonna take some thinking as to how I can do that, but when I figure it out, I'll let ya'll know.