Getting There...and Here are My Christmas Lists

I'm feeling a wee bit more prepared for Christmas.  After frantically putting together my lists last week, I've had opportunity to do some shopping - both online and at a few local retail outlets.  On Friday, a dear friend offered to take Lizzie for a couple of hours while Matthew and Seth were in their last art class of the term, and that was a fabulous opportunity to do a little running around.  That same afternoon, we decorated the tree that had been sitting naked in our sun room for a few days.  And the boys strung lights around the house in great abundance.

As a result, other than the chaos caused by having rooms turned upside down to accommodate the workers who are conducting repairs on all of the water-damaged areas of our house, and other than the fact that our front entrance is rather full of a bunch of things I'm trying to sell on kijiji (anyone want to buy a Thomas Train table or a workbench or various other toys that are taking up way too much room in our house?), our house is finally looking a little festive and I'm feeling a little less panicky.

For those who have expressed interest, below is my list of gifts for the kids (mostly ordered/purchased, a few things remaining).  I believe I have spent about $150 per child, in addition to the shared gifts for all three (which are more homeschooling expenses because I had intended to purchase these things anyway).  Oh, and my parents have purchased a lego set for each child, which they will love!

The bean bag chairs I've ordered are going to be great (this is a picture of one of them); the kids will use them for listening to me read in the library and for watching tv.  Their current chairs are full of holes and are almost unusable - in fact, Lizzie's is so deteriorated that her rear end goes through the seat so that she actually sits on the floor, with her back resting against the back of the chair frame. :)  I found a fab deal on these chairs, and they are currently being shipped (for free) from the southern U.S. to the warehouse just south of the border that we will pick them up from.

All three have outgrown their slippers and, given that we have a lot of pyjama days around here, slippers are a bit of a necessity.  This year Matthew's slippers will be a little on the drab side, unfortunately, because he's now into men's shoe sizes and they frankly don't look as cute as the slippers that are sold in the boys' departments.  Oh well!

They'll each get one toy - a remote control vehicle for the boys (high up on their lists) and spy gear for Lizzie (which she is quite desperate for, as she loves dressing herself in her black long underwear and undershirt, attaching a walkie talkie to her long underwear, donning her black balaclava and spying on her poor, unsuspecting mother).

Books are always a staple for Christmas and birthdays, so they will each receive two books, catered as much as possible to their tastes and interests.  In addition, they'll each receive one doodle/puzzle kind of book - this is one of the things they love to do while I read out loud to them in the mornings...they sit on their chair (or lie on their bellies on the floor) with their clipboards on their laps and they doodle or do puzzles or draw!

Oddly, one of the things I think my kids will like best are the little craft boxes I'm putting together for each of them.  I found sturdy little plastic containers with handles at Michaels and, armed with 50% off coupons, I walked through the checkout three different times on the same visit (so that I could use a coupon on each little container!) and got the containers for only a few dollars each.  Then I went to Home Depot and picked up duct tape in each of the kids' favourite colours, and to Walmart and the Dollar Store for the tape, markers, mini stapler and so on.  I think I spent around $15 completing each container.  My kids love crafting (despite their mother) and, although they have access to these things already, they will love having their own little box of things to use in their creative modes.  I loved putting them together.

And of course, they must each have a CD of some type - whether audio book or music.  They all listen to a lot of audio books and music.

And that's kinda it, in addition to a few things in stockings.  I don't know whether our gifts would be considered extravagant or modest, but it's what we are comfortable with.  Maybe one of these ideas resonates for someone in your family??

Have you finished shopping for your family yet?  What have you purchased?  Did you come up with any brilliant gift ideas this year?  What do you spend per family member?

Shared (3 Kids)	Squigz Bendesr Zentangle books x 3 Magna tiles
Matthew	#1: bean bag chair #2: remote control helicopter #3: doodle book #4: slippers #5: arts & craft box: duct tape; tape; markers; stapler; eraser; charcoal pencil; oil pastel set; etc #6: books x 2 #7: CD:  Adventures in Odyssey #58 Christmas Eve:  Footed PJs; hot chocolate
Seth	#1: bean bag chair #2: remote control car #3: doodle & puzzle book #4: slippers #5: arts & craft box: duct tape; tape; markers; stapler; eraser; oil pastel set; etc #6: books x 2 #7: CD: Classic Children’s Tales Christmas Eve:  Footed PJs; hot chocolate
Lizzie	#1: bean bag chair #2: spy kit: long distance listener; belt; around-the-corner viewer; etc #3: spirograph book #4: slippers #5: arts & craft box: duct tape; tape; markers; stapler; eraser; pencil crayons; etc #6: books x 2 #7: CD:  118 Songs That Kids Really Love Christmas Eve:  Footed PJs; hot chocolate