Christmas Gifts

Well, this week I finally succumbed to the nasty bug that has been going around. I spent most of the time in bed reading or resting, but I did get out and completely finish my Christmas shopping and managed to grocery shop for the week. I'm feeling very proud of myself!

We don't purchase many Christmas gifts. James and I usually buy each other something practical, shop for our kids, and then maybe get a few other gifts for extended family if money permits, or Savanna and I will bake treats (we are making my Mom's amazing fudge for a few friends next week). I love that I don't have lists and lists of obligatory shopping. Plus, I feel like I can put a lot more thought into the gifts I do buy (and not just because we usually need to get "creative"). :)

I have been pondering about our children's gifts a great deal this year. I have been reading my blogs and forums and listening to some great advice from women who have pondered this also. It is easy to go to Toys R Us and load up the cart, but there is a very specific atmosphere that my husband and I are trying to create in our home. We are trying to foster that love of learning, that togetherness and resourcefulness that comes from working and playing together as a family. Many of the forms of entertainment gifts out there do not coincide with our "big picture." Also, I do not want the gifts to overtake the holiday season and blind us from celebrating Christ and His birth. It's a tricky balance, but one I think I found this year rather well.

I was intrigued to find out that many Christian families subscribe to the "three gifts" rule. Three gifts were good enough for Christ, they should surely be good enough for us! Some even go a bit a further and separate the gifts into categories based on the Christ child's gifts. Each family member gets a gift representing gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The gold gift represents a fancy , somewhat worldly "ooh"gift (Santa's gift usually is the gold gift- for families that do Santa). Other items like mp3 players, digital cameras or other electronics, building toys, dolls, cars, bikes or other sporting equipment would fall under the "gold" category.

Frankincense was used in religious ceremonies, so the frankincense gift is a spiritual gift. It could be a church book or dvd, a new scripture bag, journals, a hope chest, or classic books would fall in the "frankincense" category.

Myrrh was used in ancient times to preserve bodies, so the frankincense gift is a gift of practicality. Clothing, socks, underwear, ties, maybe items for handwork or woodwork, furniture for bedrooms or bookshelves would fall under the "myrrh" category.

I thought this was really neat. I didn't really follow this exactly, but it did make me think about the types of gifts I wanted my kids to receive and the reasons behind the gifts. This year I wanted to give them gifts of quality time and opportunities to learn skills. We took all the kids to Disneyland- that was a big part of their present. Books are always on the gift list- what leadership education home doesn't think books are great gifts?? And then we took each child's interests and completed their gifts with something special.

One of the things we were inspired to do was to build the boys tool boxes. Well, I was inspired to have James build them tool boxes. :) James' gift this year was a jigsaw, blades, and clamps, so he made the boys customized tool boxes right here in our living room! This was his first woodworking project, and he did awesome!! We will be giving them each a set of 7 tools on Christmas morning to keep in their tool boxes. Each boy also will receive a calendar with dates already scheduled where dad will teach them how to use each of the tools in their box. Now these are real tools, not their little plastic, pretend ones. They are going to love this! And I think more than the box or the tools, they will love working alongside dad "fixing" and "making" stuff! We also bought them a bunch of their Magic Tree House books (I hit a deal on Ebay!). Socks, Star Wars underwear, and a little treat for their stockings, and they are good to go!

James couldn't wait to use his new saw, so the boys helped him make the tool boxes!

Ben really enjoyed sanding his box. He said he was cleaning the wood.

How cute are these?

The boys LOVE them. They don't know about their real tools yet, so they have been putting their pretend tools in them and fixing everything in our house!

Savanna is getting more difficult to buy for. She is at that age where she wants to pick everything out herself. We got her some books she has been wanting, some practical items and a treat for her stocking too, and then I bought her some organic mineral make-up and a make-up brush. She will be receiving a day planner with dates scheduled with Mom to learn how to apply her make-up, do mani/pedis, and bake some treats she has been wanting to learn how to prepare.

Simple, yet fun. And if this doesn't sound glamorous enough, don't feel too bad for them, the gold gifts have been covered by grandmas and aunties! They will still be spoiled rotten, as usual!

We did not forget our little Emma. She has an assortment of gifts under the tree too- a brush and comb set, a rattle, some baby food freezer cubes, an alphabet play mat, and a bunch of new clothes!

Speaking of Emma, here she is enjoying some of her early Christmas gifts:

She loves this little electronic book from Grandma that moves and plays music!

She is still loving her Bumbo chair and now can play with some of her little toys on its tray.

She tuckered herself out and had to take a little nap in her swing.

And, just because she is too cute for words, here she is taking her bath.

Merry Christmas Again, Everyone!

December 14 - 18, 2010

P.S. It was pointed out that I left out what I was getting for Christmas! Well, I'm hopefully getting a house (Although this loan process just about has us pulling out every hair on our heads! Our realtor says that I should be blogging about all the idiots and drama we've experienced since we started this process. It is kind of humorous, but I don't want to make too much fun yet. When we have the keys, I'll be blogging!). Aside from the house, I got a new memory card for my camera and some girlie bath stuff. I feel very well taken care of. :)