No really... I love it....

I love Christmas. Always have. Probably because when I was young, my mother and step father really had no interest in celebrating a religious holiday when they themselves are not religious. Which is fair enough really - but for a kid it clearly sucks.

So every year I was always the driving force behind every Christmas - Mum hates plastic trees, so I used whatever pot plant was available and draped it in 20 year old bits of tinsel. Once I got a bit older, I saved up money i earnt from doing jobs around the farm and spent it on Christmas lights and made my step father help me drape the house from top to bottom in electrical wiring.

I'm also a bit mental when i comes to presents. I LOVE the feeling when someone is blown away by the present you have given them - and it's not about the monetary value of the gift (although sometimes that comes in to it) - it's more about finding something that you KNOW they will love, need, will think of you every time they look at it. I love unique gifts. things made by hand, or thought up from scratch. And by that I don't mean the hideous painting of a sail boat that Aunty Flo painted for you, or clearly un-water tight vase made out of clay from Red Dot.

So the prospect of having kids to share the joy of Christmas with was very exciting to me. Well as it turns out - children are more fickle than I ever expected.

I don't want to say they have ruined Christmas for me - because it's not really their fault - they aren't aware of their impact, and it's really just a reflection on society as a whole - BUT I think it's fair to say that the bloom is off the rose. Now, when giving children presents, I almost cringe in fear - waiting for the inevitable 'where's the rest of our presents?' or.. 'But I asked for...'

I may have been this greedy when I was a child (Mum?) but I don't remember being so. I do recall my brother being given a teddy bear from our Nanna, and him turning around and saying 'I don't like it'. I was mortified... I couldn't think of anything more embarrassing! So i quickly jumped in and stated that I liked the bear, and if he didn't, I would have it.

So in an attempt to try and teach my children (if no-one elses) some sense of responsibility and and humility, we have until now, gone out and bought small gifts for children who otherwise would not receive gifts at Christmas. And that has been good - but now that the kids have more toys than they know what to do with, this year I will be encouraging them to give away something of theirs before they receive anything new (much to their father's horror)

Clearly it's not even close to Christmas - but the same principle applies for all gift giving occasions, and I am smack bang in the middle of kids birthdays season at the moment, so it's something I have been thinking about.

Sigh... I need a bex and a lie down.