I've mentioned in passing several times our plans for a handmade/homemade holiday. This translates into lots of work for me, but it is satisfying knowing that the screamers enjoy the LONGlasting mommy made things more than the plastic battery eaters that they get from others.
This year I've gotten slightly ambitious. Two sets of flannel jammies for each screamer, a mommy made sweater each (these are the BANE of my existence right now), knit socks for the spouse and the oldest screamer (the youngest has hand-me-downs), knit hats for the father and brother and brother-in-law, dunno what for my mother and toys, toys, toys for the screamers.
I've enlisted my father in the wood puzzle making, mom in the "you are giving me that fabric" department and finally broke out the sewing machine after a summer of languishing away under the desk. There will be lots of cute little knit monsters and funny fabric animals, wood puzzles and maybe a wooden car or two, there is debate on purchasing yet more crayons, notebooks and such as the screamers have suddenly decided that "school is cool" and have been going to town with writing and drawing. I've picked up some of those $1 workbooks for the eldest...he does them like they are crack or something. No complaints, at least he likes math.
The point of the rambling above: I am trying to de-program the screamers. Remove from them the NEED that little people seem to have for plastic, store bought stuff. They have responded positively to the loss of most of the battery eaters. I take this as a good sign.
In the long run it means that they will hopefully have a deeper appreciation for things that someone took the time to make, that aren't bought at chinamart, things that require skill and imagination and no batteries. Simplicity, from the cradle...that's the plan. We've been doing this for a while, but this is the first Christmas that every gift from mommy and daddy and Santa will be not bought somewhere. I can only hope that in-laws just send clothes (never, ever going to happen).
3 comments:
We're doing a handmade/homemade Christmas too. Between the husband's leather work and my fiber work and miniatures the house is a wreck. It's so worth it though.
I agree minikat...our house is cluttered like crazy with fabric scraps, yarn and yarn scraps, thread and half finished projects...drives the spouse crazy (he's the Mr. Clean type while I'm the if it ain't killin' ya type) but he understands the importance.
It's getting harder and harder to hide what I'm doing though...Santa gifts only get worked on at night and others I just tell the screamers they are for someone else! I'm a bad momma!!
Although we don't do the hand-made thing, we try to make gift giving at any time of the year an opportunity to get needed prep items. We give each other a list of needed items for them to choose from or simply use a gift card or cash if they can't find the needed item so that it can be gotten later.
Thanks for adding TPN to your blog roll.
Riverwalker
Post a Comment