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June 2015 Moms
wheresilenceismusic
member
Options
Holiday Plans
wheresilenceismusic
member
Has anyone begun to think about Thanksgiving or Christmas? If so:
What traditions have you and your family observed in the past? What changes will you make now that you have LO? How do you feel about long-distance travel and overnights?
What about gifts, Santa, etc?
What traditions have you and your family observed in the past? What changes will you make now that you have LO? How do you feel about long-distance travel and overnights?
What about gifts, Santa, etc?
Re: Holiday Plans
It will be a big change for us. We will not be able to see everyone; some will feel left out. I think DH realized in a new way that LO and I are his family now. I am very excited to make new traditions for our family of three.
Our extended families live 14 hours away. Christmas is always a huge expense (particularly because of the travel involved), which is why we are making a budget for it now.
I hate the holidays. I'm glad we live apart from any family to free me up from the obligation of spending any time with them (either mine or DHs). The only person I would like to do something with for the holidays is my sister, but we can't afford to fly out there (ever) and she always has her SO's family there for the holidays, so that would suck anyway. It would be nice if we could do dinner just her and her man, me and my man, and our kids. Maybe if they move out of SoCal like they are currently discussing it will be easier to do.
For Thanksgiving DH does like to make a small turkey and some sides, just because its an excuse to cook all day and turkey is good. We may not do the meal ON Thanksgiving day, tho, depending on his duty schedule. And we munch while chilling on the couch.
For Xmas we do not buy gifts, and do not get a tree. We go to the zoo (if possible) and then watch Star Wars marathon. Usually while getting bombed.
Now that we have a kid, I guess we will have to start having a sit down Thanksgiving meal (no big, just didn't make much sense for two adults that couldn't give up acting like children). Xmas, I know we will have to cede to presents because our extended families (the grandmas and grandpas) will send presents, so we'll have to do something. So, fake tree and Xmas morning presents, with the option to open ONE of LOs choice on Xmas eve (a family tradition I'm keeping). No Santa, tho (I'm still not sure how I will prevent my kid from spoiling Santa for other kids) and nothing religious will be attached to Xmas. We'll refer to it as MidWinter probably. If I could get away with not doing Xmas, I would. But I don't want my kid to feel left out among the other kids who are all getting stuff around this time of the year. It would be nice to continue the tradition of the Zoo with LO (nearby Zoo and weather permitting), and Star Wars marathon I'll just start while presents are being opened that morning.
And then we'll celebrate my birthday, and I'm looking forward to getting a macaroni and glue piece of artwork.
And then Happy New Year! And thank the gods the holidays are over for another year.
So anyway. Bah. Humbug!
Just don't expect me to ever even ever not complain about having to listen to holiday music, except on the TWO days its 'allowed' (Thanksgiving and Xmas). Frickin' holidays with their catchy ass jingles. Grrr. Argh. :-w
Christmas Eve is a big deal for Italians, so we do the seven fishes. Christmas Day we usually open gifts, drink a bunch, and play rummy 500 all day.
We asked this year not to go big on gifts for our family, and just contribute to LOs Ameritrade fund.
DH and I have our "Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal" t shirts ready to go. We were going to get one for DD, but now my MIL wants to get her an outfit. Whatevs. If it makes her happy.
I can't wait for this year! My niece will be almost a year, and DD will be 6 mo. So fun!!!
I'm not sure what the plans are for this year but I know it's going to be way different. Running around with our 5 yo DD was crazy enough, I'm Not doing it with a baby.in the past we go to my moms parents Xmas eve, dads parents Xmas. We also went to my fiancés dads parents at somepoint around Xmas (which I hated because they smoked in the house for like 50 years) so me and DD would always sit by the door with it opened. We were living in my parents garage apartment before May so we would wake up and do presents there then go to my fiancés parents later that morning. It has been crazy! And that's only Christmas!! This year not happening. We're in our own place with 2 kids And I'm not running around like a crazy chicken! Hah. If everyone wants to see us then they can come over after they call. Probably not going to go over well with all of them but it gets crazy.
For thanksgiving the past 7 years together we've always kinda rotated. Last year we went to my family dinner and then fiancés family for dessert. Not as crazy as Christmas but I'm so over going to all these places!
Christmas this year is breakfast (cinnamon rolls! Hoping to plan ahead and make the pioneer woman's this year) and stockings and presents at home, then a meal and presents with the in laws. We usually alternate thanksgiving/Christmas with my family/his family.
Since I gave up thanksgiving, we go to my parents house every year for Christmas and rotate between his parents( one year his mom's the next his dad's). I believe his dad's side is this year. And we will do our own Christmas at our house.
I asked dh about Santa cause I really don't want to do it, working at a school its hard to see the really good kiddos who don't get anything from santa when these brats get tons of presents. Also not sure about how I feel about someone else taking credit for presents I bought. He is undecided.
There will be certain things that I am excited about for traditions, each year we get a new book and an ornanent so I think I want to pass that along to l/o.
We put up decorations, the tree and lights Thanksgiving weekend. We will open gifts Christmas day. I started a rule this year for us and the grandparents: 4 gifts max. 1 thing they want, 1 thing they need, 1 thing to wear, 1 thing to read. If they send more gifts than that, it gets returned or donated. I hate all of the plastic crap that is in our house.
DH and I both like baking cookies and I make lefsa. I really want to start an Advent calendar for DS, too. Last year, I had DS help pick out books and toys to donate to families in need. I also want this to become a tradition to help teach empathy and clean out some of the toys before the new ones arrive. I'm undecided on Santa; I don't really care and it sounds like a lot of work. We used to host a brandy old fashioned cocktail party before kids. I'd like to start that again.
Then one year about 7 years ago, there was a dog fight, which caused a people fight, and it all dissolved. Now Thanksgiving is kind of heartbreaking for me because it just feels like something spoiled.
I'm hoping for an awesome "baby's first Christmas" this year. We are in our hometown and my MIL and parents live here, and get along. I'm hoping my brother and his kids will come, and we can buy silly PJs and make a thing of it. That's usually not my style, but I'm craving some family magic and want to create that for LO.
DH and I usually buy something for ourselves together, like a couch or new refrigerator, rather than individual gifts.
PS, My family is a Christian-Jewish blend, so you will see me posting about both. We used to do Hannukah gifts...but DH would get too excited and give me four gifts at once, then I wouldn't have anything to open for a few nights! So now we just light the candles and save gifts for Christmas
I want LO to think Christmas is pure magic. Because it is! Not in a she-needs-100-presents kind of way. But that she really enjoys the stories, movies, songs (sorry @mellymar haha) and feels that magical feeling I used to feel as a little girl when everything is lit and people are cheery! I always make DH read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to me on Christmas Eve and I can't wait to do that with LO! I think Christmas Day will be drastically different and will need some family boundaries. I don't want anyone spending the night Christmas Eve, I don't want anyone at our house before 1pm that day and if I'm cooking it's going to be super simple because I don't want to cook all day while others are enjoying and not helping.
Sorry, that was long and half a pity party. I've turned into half a Grinch too! @Sammy K I've heard that gift rule before and love it!
I'm not sure we're telling LO about Santa. He's too little to know this year anyway, but we'll do stocking stuffers and wrapped gifts. My mom told me about Santa really early (I was like 4) because I asked, but we still had "Santa" gifts that were left out unwrapped. Not sure if I'll do this or not. I'm hoping we can just hang home this Christmas in our PJs. We'll see. Last year we had my FIL, DH's step mom, half sister, and DH's step brothers over. No one offered to bring anything. One of his step brothers is engaged and his fiancée asked, "who's bringing the food." After my pregnant ass had been in the kitchen all morning, I wanted to punch her. I love Christmas decorations and music! I actually caught myself singing, "Deck the Halls" to LO yesterday. Haha. It's way too soon!
@ChardeeMacDennis I may attempt to do the cinnamon rolls too! A student I taught 2 years ago made me some. They wake up early the Saturday before Christmas, make a bunch of them, and take them to the girls' teachers, the fire station, police station, and anyone else who touched their lives that year. Such a great idea. They were the pioneer woman's recipe and delicious!
But this year I'm so nervous cause my MIL "cashed in" a favor and asked us to spend Christmas with them. I am super close to my family and if we go to my MIL's, this will be the first holiday I'll spend away from my parents and I will literally cry (I'm very sensitive and emotional like that).
I am secretly crossing my fingers that DH will have to work!!!!!!! (Not on Christmas but the days around it so we can't travel)
I kind of wanna be like "nah bro, we're not going" cause baby's first Christmas but then that means they get Christmas next year when baby will be a year and a half and really cute opening presents. So torn!
My friends brat children have complaints about gifts every year, I have always said if our LO ever complains about a gift all gifts will be returned. My husband is from an poor family who used to go without food so for our LO to whinge about having the wrong things is incredibly insulting and won't be tolerated. It makes my blood boil, the children who complain now get $5 donations made in their honour each year.
I am starting a tradition of Christmas Eve she donates her current toys to the local charity and then Santa brings her new toys for her good deed. We will do this for her birthday and Islamic Christmas too. It may teach her good deeds bring good things and it stops my house getting cluttered with toys she won't play with!
I'm so jealous of all of your winter Christmas ideas! On Christmas Day it's normally 40 degrees (104 Fahrenheit) and too hot for turkeys. We would normally do a seafood barbecue and salads
We do Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with the in laws. My new recent tradition is to drink enough on Christmas Day to tolerate mil. It's nice.
Thanksgiving we're not going back to my hometown, but I plan to cook a turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. I've invited my brothers but I don't know if either of them can come. I might invite a friend or two if there's anyone who doesn't have other plans for Thanksgiving. If I'm cooking all that food, I want there to be more people around to eat it than just the three of us! But if it is just the three of us, I guess that will be ok too.
We are going back to my hometown for Christmas. We're going to spend 3 nights in a hotel. We have to take our two cats since DH doesn't want to board them. The 23rd is my birthday so I plan to go out to dinner with my family and LO. I'm thinking the same restaurant where we ate for my last birthday, when I was pregnant with LO. My friend is a co-owner of the restaurant and it would be nice to see her there. The 24th we'll visit friends, probably. And on Christmas, I'll take LO to my mom's house for present opening festivities. My brothers, aunt, cousin and nephews will be there, so it will be a lot of fun for me and LO. DH will stay at the hotel or maybe go see my grandma, who avoids my mom's Christmas as well, since she thinks her two daughters are too materialistic and spend too much money (DH agrees and gets along great with my grandma). Family drama, sigh. I'm really looking forward to it though and hope it will go smoothly.
I have no idea about Christmas. I have a huge family and it's always a big ordeal, and DH hates it. I want to be able to have time jist for us in there somewhere, but we never have before. DH family Christmas eve, my family Christmas day, and my biodad family on my birthday (the 26th ).
I'm thinking Santa brings a book and pajamas. I want him to have the excitement and 'wonder', but not expect a ton of stuff from a magic fat guy. I loved Santa. I still love Santa.
As for Christmas, I haven't thought that far ahead yet. It's always a big deal in my family so I know pretty much everyone will be getting her gifts. I might get her some bigger toys, or some pajamas/sleepers or things she may need. But really I think she'll be Too young still for anything more than that. As far as Santa goes, my mom still tries to convince me that Santa is real so that's not something that's going to go over well if I try to tell her otherwise. My moms big thing is getting Pet Santa photos done with the dog, so that will be cute. But other than that my plans are still so up in the air.
ETA word change...I realized after I posted that I said it was crazy twice in one sentence.
We have already started the conversation with them about what we think is appropriate to give a small child for Christmas. Hopefully they will listen. . .and maybe it will save them some money.