What do you do for Christmas

Great idea!!!

I do like that idea. But I tend to spoil the bejeebers out of my kids at Christmas. :) I feel ok about it, because I am very consistant about NOT spending money any other time. S gets an allowance -$5 a week- that is not tied to chores or any other behavior. If he destroys property, he has to use that $ to repair it. If not, he can use it on whatever he wants. He also has other opportunities to earn money. So ANYTHING that he wants during the year- the answer is always- Sure you can have that! You just need to save your money! So at Christmas time I spoil him. :-) With previous foster placements I also made sure there were lots of packages under the tree, but I focused more on "needs" like clothes, PJs, books- things I knew they could take with them when they moved on.

I'm a spoiler too. I have DD write her wish list, starting it with the top 3 wishes. We go to Santa's Village (this will be year number two) to hand deliver the list. I swap the actual list with blank one prior to placing it in the mail box There's typically one big thing. The big thing can be shared by the house (wii, trampoline - with cage, that sort of thing).

We try to keep things simple. This year we're going with:1 - an experience (tickets to a play or sports event)2 - a "big" present (from Mom & Dad). In this case it was a video game for one and a wooden train table for the little two to share)3 - a smaller present (from Santa). 4 - stocking stuffersWe'll also be buying another smallish present courtesy of the far away grandparents (they send a cheque, we do some shopping and put the rest in their school account). We'll be involved in a book gift exchange on one side of the family. And my mom and dad will have some small gifts and maybe an experience for each kid. We do spend a little more on family presents. So far we've got 2 games put away, and one more planned to buy. Last year was our first year with our oldest, and we went overboard. And it was overwhelming (for me, not so much for the kids).

This is our first Christmas with our girl. I have gone completely overboard. There is a huge box under my desk at my work filled with small stuff (books, games, clothes, craft kits, stocking stuffers) and she's getting DSI as her "big" gift. Her birthday is Monday and I have also gone overboard there.

I have always liked the idea that I heard once that Jesus got three gifts so that is how many they buy for their children. I have never held true to it but love the idea. Also, we ALWAYS,ALWAYS have one present under the tree that the children can open on Christmas Eve and that one present always is PJ's. Something nice to go to sleep in and something cute for pictures in the morning :) Kids have now figured it out and look forward to opening that present the most.

We always say we're keeping it simple... and we always over buy. My kids have asked us to open the rest of their presents before because they got tired!!! No lie. This year we have 5 and we got each older child 4-5 gifts and a bigger gift from Santa. Our girls are getting 4 gifts and sharing a new Playhouse from Santa. Of the 5 kids, we also have 3 of their birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas so we're talking about TONS of CRAP coming into our home ;) This year they are also getting a trip to Disneyland, we had to miss a Halloween trip when our girls came home.

I also do the christmas eve pyjamas! I get myself some too and its lovely crashing into bed having filled the stockings and feeling all snug!I have stocking fillers, then quite a few small presents e.g. books, itunes vouchers, cinema vouchers, DVD's, a pretty necklace etc. I have one or two big presents, either an experience or a game system for example.The I have the 'special gifts' which we open together and are under the tree, one gift per child and one for me as well! This is something which should have some sentimental value. This year it is going to be a locket each with a picture of the child on one side and a family picture on the other. Last year it was a lovely framed professional picture, the year before was their birthstones in a lovely decorated box - my DD2 loved tht one! And they got sponsorship of children from other countries year before - they write a few times a yer, and that feels special to us as well.Then we have the small 'sweet stocking' containing nothing but sweets - lindor, quality streets and chocolate coins. They can take a couple when I say and slowly they get eaten (quickly if I turn my back for a minute!!) YUM YUM!

Actually, whilst Little Gem liked getting books and vouchers, GOG likes craft kits, sewing, knitting wool etc. DS likes his trains at the minute. His big pressie this year will be a big wooden train track