I know. You expect nothing less, right? You should have read my "Since when is welfare a life choice?" rant I posted on a message board I frequent. Maybe I will post it later.
(Just so you don't think I am a complete lunatic - it wasn't really a rant, but part of a discussion.)
Anyway...
Cookies are almost done. I must not have been making them fast enough for Christian, though. He ended up making a batch of snicker doodles, peanut butter and thumbprint (with Hershey Kisses instead of the jam) without me. He loves to cook and bake, and for a long time was planning to be a Chef. He changed his mind and said he didn't know what he wanted to be, but I told Marty last night that maybe we should start saving for Le Cordon Bleu. Christian just rolled his eyes.
Tonight I am taking the neighbor to the hospital to see her husband. He has been there since the day before Thanksgiving, and in ICU for 2 weeks or so. She can't drive at night, but I like to make sure she gets up there in the evening.
Christian's birthday was nice. We had a nice dinner and he still hasn't figured out what he wants for his gift. If he doesn't figure it out soon, I am going to just put cash into his bank account.
My birthday was nice, too. We had a 4-H meeting that night, so the boys insisted on making a birthday dinner for me the next day. I got exactly what I wanted (a pouring spout for the Kitchenaid) but after using it decided that I hated it and took it back.
We are having a Christmas party at 4-H that includes a "White Elephant" gift exchange. The problem is, I don't have anything in my house that isn't used. Seriously. When we moved we got rid of almost everything, and the stuff that was left over went out shortly after we got here. So much so that my sister-in-law commented on our minimalist decor. I don't even have an extra coffee cup to stuff a pack of hot chocolate into and give away. (Four hot beverage drinkers in the house = 4coffee mugs.) I really don't want to have to buy something for this gift exchange, so any ideas would be appreciated!
I have to go stocking shopping this week. Luckily I don't have to Christmas shop yet.
We have decided as a family that we are going to wait to exchange Christmas gifts. It is a long story (and no Mom, we aren't broke) but when Marty told me some of the stories his customers told him on "Black Friday" I put my foot down and said enough is enough. A woman here had her jaw broken by a man trying to get something she had put into her shopping cart, for God's sake.
For some (most? all?) Christians it is to celebrate the birth of Christ. (The whole birthday cake for Jesus thing confuses and fascinates me at the same time.) I am not a religious person (in fact I am an atheist) but to me Christmas is about spending time with the people you love, not seeing who got the biggest and best gifts. We will exchange gifts, but we will do it on our schedule, not when Wal-Mart tells us to.
When I mentioned it to the boys they were ok with it... in fact, they couldn't have cared less. The only concern was "Will we still have ham??" I decided to still give them stockings, which will probably be the same thing they always are... gift card for the movie theater (with enough left over for snacks), a box of "movie theater candy" and a few other small trinkets. (We usually go to see a movie on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter - a tradition started our first holiday living away from home.)
I am not naive enough to think that by postponing Christmas by a month or two I am making some big social statement. But I do know that by not putting my $500 (or whatever) into circulation during the holiday shopping season, I am adding my drop to the bucket.
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