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!
2 years ago
Wow, that is a lot! I can't believe you do that much on that one day. I can give you a few ideas but not sure your family will have it.
ReplyDeleteWe get together with Ryan's extended family the Saturday before Christmas. We don't do gifts. Christmas Eve we usually do both families, but this year we just did my family. We draw names, or go in birth order and it switches every year. we just buy "family" gifts.
Christmas morning is all us. At around 3:00 we go to my extended family, no gifts. The day after Christmas we spend with Ryan's family. Same thing as far as gifts go. We draw, or switch with birth order each year. It's not and relaxed and everyone get's their time with us. I wonder if something like this would work for you. Tells the parents they can have Christmas Eve.