tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post7441191925382239393..comments2023-07-05T22:26:40.892-04:00Comments on Splendor in the Home: Too Much Christmas!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662784804825998751noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-57629484104377193262013-01-08T19:56:41.850-05:002013-01-08T19:56:41.850-05:00Hi! I hope things have calmed down by now. I'm...Hi! I hope things have calmed down by now. I'm a little late to the party but my mother-in-law said as soon as we have kids we should not leave our house on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. People (including grandparents) should come to you! I hope you find more peace next year. Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12781908378568149648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-62926825816949458302013-01-02T16:58:52.462-05:002013-01-02T16:58:52.462-05:00Yes! I love the idea of gifts of an "experie...Yes! I love the idea of gifts of an "experience" (such as zoo memberships), or gifts that get loved but eventually used up (like craft supplies)! I've been thinking along similar lines. Unfortunately on the sibling end, none of the kids aunts and uncles have their own children yet, so they are still excited to spoil our kids, and buy them all the "great toys" they had when they were young.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662784804825998751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-83443498369503047912013-01-02T16:42:54.051-05:002013-01-02T16:42:54.051-05:00Wow, what a Christmas! We were pretty booked as we...Wow, what a Christmas! We were pretty booked as well, mostly with out of town guests staying with us, one family one after another. Thankfully, this does not mean packing our kids up and taking them places, so it made things easier on us in a way.<br /><br />My mom has responded really well to my hints about how overwhelming the kid's clutter is to my life (and she remembers what it's like, being slighty OCD herself). Every year my parents give us family memberships to our local zoo or science museum. We love them, use them all the time, and they take up only a miniscule amount of space in my wallet. They also bring the kids stacks of sticker books so that they have gifts to unwrap and play with. Those are loved to death for a couple weeks and then I get to throw them away. Perfect. I am sure it helps too that all of our siblings are either buying presents for their own children or else just really thrifty, so we either get one family gift or nothing at all from aunts and uncles, and that's fine with me. <br />Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10449189050973961508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-86128096964766369552012-12-31T13:59:10.507-05:002012-12-31T13:59:10.507-05:00We frequently show up late or leave early from par...We frequently show up late or leave early from parties and people's houses. Nap times are pretty scared around here and so are bedtimes. So far everyone has understood. And even if they are baffled, they never dare mention it. lol It was hard for me to adjust to at first, but now sometimes I am so thankful for the needing to leave early. It has gotten us out of some not so fun situations. <br /><br />In terms of gifts from the grandparents, we don't have an issue. Both sets have been incredibly generous yet not in an overwhelming type way. The amount of gifts they give are totally reasonable. (Thank goodness!) I think Santa actually went a little nuts this year in our house. ;) <br /><br />I am sorry Stella is sick. Hang in there! Noah is on round two of antibiotics for a double ear infection. Not fun. :( Tis the season!<br /><br />Have a happy and peaceful New Year!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968687647847330736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-14934415562310730272012-12-31T10:31:14.355-05:002012-12-31T10:31:14.355-05:00Wow - this sounds just about where we are headed. ...Wow - this sounds just about where we are headed. Thanks for sharing your story.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662784804825998751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-77732186728707897232012-12-30T22:05:39.046-05:002012-12-30T22:05:39.046-05:00Our Christmas was nice this year, and I truly mean...Our Christmas was nice this year, and I truly mean that.<br /><br />I totally completely understand the overwhelmed feeling of frustration that too much party and too many gifts bring. I'm sorry that your family endured that. You have made a good choice. Put your foot down. Do it, even if it hurts people. You need to do what is best for your family, and this is not it. Don't let your children's Christmas memories be like mine, please. When I was a kid, we woke up Christmas morning, opened our small amount of simple gifts from our parents, and went to Mass. Happy times, good memories. The day would go downhill rapidly from there. First, my mom's family. Gifts, sweets and pop. Then my dad's side of the family with his mom- several garbage bags of gifts, more sweets, rich food. THEN, my dad's stepdad's family. Gifts nearly up to the roof in the back of the Jeep, bags on the floor between our feet. I remember driving home Christmas night, feeling sick and crazed from overexcitement, and just wanting to throw the gifts out the window. And when we got home, watching my dad carry bag after bag, armful after armfull, into the house, would make me cry. It was more stuff than I wanted. I knew the house would be a wreck for days afterwards, as we purged toys by the bagfull and rearranged and tried to make room. My mom would make us throw out toys we loved to make room for the new ones, and we would cry. To this day, I have no idea why my mom and dad could not learn to say NO to their families. For the sake of Sly and Stella, I hope that you do. <br /><br />Merry Christmas! I hope you find some peace and quiet in the remainder of the 12 days.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117120475033380036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-44002509602702899782012-12-30T11:32:30.088-05:002012-12-30T11:32:30.088-05:00That's a great idea. I can already foresee up...That's a great idea. I can already foresee upset grandparents, but we'll have to consider something like this for next year.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662784804825998751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-75335219653324021372012-12-30T03:46:24.279-05:002012-12-30T03:46:24.279-05:00This sounds very much like some of our Christmas&#...This sounds very much like some of our Christmas's past. This year, however, we did put our foot down and say "ONE house per day, NO traveling between events on Christmas day," etc. It was much more peaceful. People got a little miffed, but it was a necessary change. Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14610084235933374679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-68154601429243138992012-12-30T00:26:03.318-05:002012-12-30T00:26:03.318-05:00Well, I was sick as a dog until the 24th, so that ...Well, I was sick as a dog until the 24th, so that was the first day I could do anything, so that day was cleaning and prep from wake-up until bedtime.<br /><br />Because of being sick, I hadn't been able to buy Pippa the two (2) presents I wanted to, and I let her unwrap the one (1) present I had already gotten (the Nativity set) Christmas eve. On Christmas morning I knew we wouldn't have time for presents, so we just went straight to morning Mass. When we got home it was nap time, and while she was napping I put out the presents I had received in the mail from relatives, plus the presents from our houseguest, her godfather. When she woke up we did presents; she opened all of them... only about 5 of them were for her. Then we had Christmas dinner just the four of us.<br /><br />Boxing Day we did almost nothing. We went out in the early afternoon for shopping that was a wash-out.<br /><br />Even with a fairly low-key holiday Pippa was still a little more stressed than usual. I think I mentioned that she had two tantrums Christmas Day, bringing her total lifetime tantrums up to four. She hasn't had any more tantrums since.<br /><br />I think you've got the key already... it's all about keeping naps and bedtime and balancing out the junk foods. I would add that I think another key piece for Pippa was that the putting up of the Christmas tree and other decorations added a new source of "no, no, no". She was really very good about obeying the stricture against touching the tree but I think it drained away at her patience reserves and that's why she melted down when I denied her something in Mass. Just tired of hearing "you can't do that".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-23541472085455042522012-12-29T22:08:23.836-05:002012-12-29T22:08:23.836-05:00I am so glad that we aren't at your house righ...I am so glad that we aren't at your house right now! That would have been so unfair. Seriously... tell us NO!Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02647046851163090769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6781474098383349170.post-81912949497254640962012-12-29T17:41:43.182-05:002012-12-29T17:41:43.182-05:00Wow, that does sound like a lot!! I felt kind of s...Wow, that does sound like a lot!! I felt kind of stressed this year but we had less "events" to go to than you. I kind of want to institute the "family only until dinner" Christmas day rule too.Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17699055172049185864noreply@blogger.com