Both families are out of state, so we're flying for Thanksgiving and Christmas, taking advantage of having a lap baby. The plan is to do the same next year, then take a year off. That's been our routine for a while, in the past our year off meant DH and I would go on an international trip together.
Because we're always travelling, we haven't established any traditions of our own yet, and I'll probably put it off a couple years until LO actually starts remembering things.
Funny, it hadn't even occurred to me to buy gifts for LO! Way too focused on figuring out gifts for the adults. I guess I might use it as an excuse to splurge on something I really like, but he's going to get SO much from family.
Me-37, DH-38
Married in 2006, TTC #1 since Jan 2012
Baby Boy born June 1, 2015
He settles her in her home as a happy mother of children, praise the Lord! (Psalms 113:9)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understand, will guard your heart and mind in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7)
@hudson202 We might be related. My family buys lots of cheap crap. It's almost guaranteed to be the wrong size or have some kind of defect. And they get offended if I suggest 1 moderate item instead of lots. "But what will you open?!" Dude, I don't care. Just knock it off already.
Since we got married, we've been taking turns celebrating Christmas with one family or the other. But it's sad to miss your family through the holidays and my family is super close. This year I put my foot down. Christmas Eve with the inlaws, Christmas morning with just out little family opening presents at our house, and Christmas dinner with my family. It helps that this year my parents moved 4 hours closer. A 90 mins drive is WAY better than a 5 and a half hour drive.
I just told that I wanted nothing for my birthday...just for them to watch my 5 year olds for the night. At my age, alone time/couple time/peace and quiet is so much more appreciated than a $20 gift!
I'm going to get LO a walker type thing (not the one where they sit in) and maybe another small gift. Nothing much.
For my 5 year olds they are getting new bikes, books, a Lego set and new pair of pjs!
I love the holidays but sadly, am not looking forward to them this year. The last couple of years have just been drama/stress-filled. I'd rather just hole up with my "little family" but I know that'd upset too many people.
We always spend the day of Thanksgiving with my family, which is ALWAYS a stressor. Everyone drinks to excess (except me and DH, who don't drink) so I tend to wake up in a bad mood every single year without fail. The entire day is a huge source of stress for me and therefore DH. DH's family always celebrates Thanksgiving the following weekend, when his older brother can travel in from out of town. Last year they asked us to host. DH went to work while I spent all day cooking and entertaining his brother and niece until he got home. Then the rest of his family came 2.5 hours late with no explanation or apology. THAT was fun. We told them we wont be hosting a holiday dinner for them ever again after that.
Christmas is also split. We attend Christmas Eve dinner at my in-laws. The next morning we open gifts at home, eat cinnamon rolls, then head over to my parents house to exchange gifts. We're usually back home by early afternoon. I see no issue there but Christmas Eve w/ the in-laws is going to be tricky. They're Hispanic and have a cultural tradition of "ringing in" the Christmas holiday much like New Years Eve. Meaning dinner isn't until 10 or 11 o'clock and we never get home until 1am or later. I'm not sure how this will play out this year as mine and LO's bedtime is 9pm. If we go there at the usual time, I know my in-laws will expect to play with her past her bedtime which is not happening. And I doubt she'll be able to fall asleep in a strange place. Annnnd last year DH and I got food poisoning from the food they served. So I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to eat their dinner this year. I'm not sure opting out wouldn't go over well with DH or my in-laws so I'm going to have to drink some coffee, try to put LO down in one of the bedrooms and play bridge troll all night.
I know that Christmas Eve will be at my grandparents, Christmas morning is at our house, Christmas brunch and lunch is at my moms house, and we get together on a mutually non-busy day with my husband's family either before or after Christmas. The Christmas Night tradition though we have had for the past 20 years will be different because my grandmother on my dads side passed away this year and she was the glue that held my dads crazy dysfunctional family together, sadly. My dad has 3 sisters and my dad and one other sister are the only 2 that speak now that my grandmother has passed (he's tried with the other 2, but they seriously have issues). When my grandmother died, one of those 2 sisters was told by the hospital that she died but didn't tell anyone until 8 hours later, then went through my grandmothers belongings first, and still hasn't told us what happened to my grandmothers ashes. She's the aunt that we've always done Christmas night with, soooo we're starting a new Christmas night tradition with my sister, her new husband, and us and our new baby. It's gonna be interesting to see how my aunt reacts when she realizes......
Oh and LO won't grow up believing Santa is real, sorry it's just creepy to me haha. And we'll also be doing the donation and serving thing as she grows up. I want her to grow up understanding that the holidays are a time to celebrate giving, not just receiving, like a lot of you all have said. That's where the joy is in the holidays..and in spending time with family (well the non-vindictive type when possible..)
Edited twice because I've been awake since 3 am I-)
I love the holidays! Being Canadian, we just had our thanksgiving and my inlaws came up. DH cooked an amazing dinner and it ended up being a good visit. This Christmas, my parents are travelling to Edmonton and next Christmas we will be travelling to Vancouver - alternating each year. Since DH and I moved to Edmonton this is how we've done it, one year at home with an 'orphan dinner' with friends, one year back home. This is the first year we've had family come up here though! (I don't blame them, Edmonton is cold, yo!!)
I love Christmas, always have, so I'm in the camp of wanting it to be pure magic for LO - Santa and all! I'm totally stealing someone's rhyme on here though for gifts - something she wants, something she needs...- and applying that to DH and myself as well because we always tend to go overboard. She'll also get a moderate Santa gift and get a stocking (stockings were, and still are, one of my favourite parts!)
Lastly, a tradition I'm going to continue with LO is the toy donation where you pick a child from a Christmas tree (you know, where there is a paper ornament with a child's sex and age) to pick a gift out and donate it. I loved doing this as a child along with the Christmas shoebox so LO and I will be continuing this together with DH.
Not sure if this is quite the right thread, but here goes.
MIL has decided to buy the twins a sled for 2 for Christmas.
She thinks we'll all have great fun dragging the babes around the yard.
Am I missing something? That sounds like the worst way to spend an afternoon with two seven month olds.
She means well, but, man, she's a little off her rocker some times.
We love taking LO outside, so we'd probably be totally into it if we got any snow in Phoenix. I just looked up infant sleds on Amazon and they are really cute and look like fun! Get good reviews too, and sound like they can be used for a couple years.
Me-37, DH-38
Married in 2006, TTC #1 since Jan 2012
Baby Boy born June 1, 2015
He settles her in her home as a happy mother of children, praise the Lord! (Psalms 113:9)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understand, will guard your heart and mind in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7)
We love taking LO outside, so we'd probably be totally into it if we got any snow in Phoenix. I just looked up infant sleds on Amazon and they are really cute and look like fun! Get good reviews too, and sound like they can be used for a couple years.
Yeah, I'm totally down with a sled in general, so I didn't tell her no. But I'm thinking it would be a better present next year or the year after.
Plus, snow is pretty and all, but it gets d-a-m-n cold here, and by February snow isn't much fun anymore. And our yard is fine, but it's nothing special. I can't see getting all bundled up to go drag babes in a few circles more than once or twice this year.
Holidays are awesome! Thanksgiving is my fav as its my bday and I'll be 30 this year whoop and for the first time in 5 years we are going to be with my fam. Also haven't seen my family for xmas in 5 years because my mom is very odd in that she only missed us during the holidays last year because my sister wasn't there for the first time. Sister is by far the favorite. My family would have to fly here, and my mom prefers to spend thanksgiving where she can go shopping and xmas with my grandfather and my uncles. Last year was the first year my sister wasn't home for xmas and I had to listen to my mother go on and on for the first time ever that she missed having us together. Uh ok I haven't seen you for xmas the last 4 years and that never bothered her. This year though she is going to fly up here. My sister moved up here 2 years ago. Today I got baby's yarn for her Christmas stocking! So I'm going to be knitting that the next month or so to go with mine and dh's. For thanksgiving normally we invite over friends and make a kick butt meal. For Christmas we have a few new traditions one is new pair of Jammies and hot cocoa with the reading of the night before xmas on xmas eve. Then presents on Christmas day. Lo is all done for xmas I got her new pjs one toy a big stuffed animal and a book. The good thing is because we haven't had family really here for xmas we get to continue our traditions like going to zoo lights and getting hot cocoa and looking at Christmas lights. My in laws came up for 4 of the years they are pretty chill but very religious. They are big on reading the night before Christmas and I think that is a wonderful tradition to keep. I'm not big on santa, I didn't believe after age 4 so if lo cares great. My mom is super obsessed with xmas though so I'm sure lo will get a little of that. I hope everyone here no matter what you celebrate (if you celebrate) has a very happy holiday season with your awesome los!
Re: Holiday Plans
I'm going to get LO a walker type thing (not the one where they sit in) and maybe another small gift. Nothing much.
For my 5 year olds they are getting new bikes, books, a Lego set and new pair of pjs!
Oh and LO won't grow up believing Santa is real, sorry it's just creepy to me haha. And we'll also be doing the donation and serving thing as she grows up. I want her to grow up understanding that the holidays are a time to celebrate giving, not just receiving, like a lot of you all have said. That's where the joy is in the holidays..and in spending time with family (well the non-vindictive type when possible..)
Edited twice because I've been awake since 3 am I-)
I love Christmas, always have, so I'm in the camp of wanting it to be pure magic for LO - Santa and all! I'm totally stealing someone's rhyme on here though for gifts - something she wants, something she needs...- and applying that to DH and myself as well because we always tend to go overboard. She'll also get a moderate Santa gift and get a stocking (stockings were, and still are, one of my favourite parts!)
Lastly, a tradition I'm going to continue with LO is the toy donation where you pick a child from a Christmas tree (you know, where there is a paper ornament with a child's sex and age) to pick a gift out and donate it. I loved doing this as a child along with the Christmas shoebox so LO and I will be continuing this together with DH.
Eta- my typos were atrocious
MIL has decided to buy the twins a sled for 2 for Christmas.
She thinks we'll all have great fun dragging the babes around the yard.
Am I missing something? That sounds like the worst way to spend an afternoon with two seven month olds.
She means well, but, man, she's a little off her rocker some times.
We love taking LO outside, so we'd probably be totally into it if we got any snow in Phoenix. I just looked up infant sleds on Amazon and they are really cute and look like fun! Get good reviews too, and sound like they can be used for a couple years.
We love taking LO outside, so we'd probably be totally into it if we got any snow in Phoenix. I just looked up infant sleds on Amazon and they are really cute and look like fun! Get good reviews too, and sound like they can be used for a couple years.
Yeah, I'm totally down with a sled in general, so I didn't tell her no. But I'm thinking it would be a better present next year or the year after.
Plus, snow is pretty and all, but it gets d-a-m-n cold here, and by February snow isn't much fun anymore. And our yard is fine, but it's nothing special. I can't see getting all bundled up to go drag babes in a few circles more than once or twice this year.
Today I got baby's yarn for her Christmas stocking! So I'm going to be knitting that the next month or so to go with mine and dh's. For thanksgiving normally we invite over friends and make a kick butt meal.
For Christmas we have a few new traditions one is new pair of Jammies and hot cocoa with the reading of the night before xmas on xmas eve. Then presents on Christmas day.
Lo is all done for xmas I got her new pjs one toy a big stuffed animal and a book.
The good thing is because we haven't had family really here for xmas we get to continue our traditions like going to zoo lights and getting hot cocoa and looking at Christmas lights. My in laws came up for 4 of the years they are pretty chill but very religious. They are big on reading the night before Christmas and I think that is a wonderful tradition to keep. I'm not big on santa, I didn't believe after age 4
so if lo cares great. My mom is super obsessed with xmas though so I'm sure lo will get a little of that. I hope everyone here no matter what you celebrate (if you celebrate) has a very happy holiday season with your awesome los!