Over Spending at Christmas

No matter how many times I say, “This Christmas I am going to be more reasonable.” I always over spend. Nothing like a little recession to tighten your holiday shopping budget, though, am I right Mamas? But we still love to shop and we want desperately to give our most precious ones the gifts their little hearts desire. Just please tell me, why do our precious ones want such expensive stuff?

Before I was a Mom I was an Auntie. I had a niece and a nephew and there is where I learned how fun it is to spend ridiculous amounts of money on little people whose wide eyes and screeches touched the very core of my heart as they opened their gifts.

Then came more nieces and nephews. Cha-ching!  Then as they got older the wish list’s of their heart’s content came with higher and higher prices. Cha-Cha-Ching! I now have nieces and nephews ranging from 3 to 15. The boys all want video games which are not at all cheap. And the list of my sweet angel 15 year old niece now contains things like Coach purses and Ugg boots. Considering I now have kids of my own to shop for in addition to the rest of the brood, I haven’t been able to shop off her list for years.  It is more sad to me than her because she would probably trade her gifts from me to spend a day together just me and her like the old days, and that of course makes it even harder!

My own kids have a Wiion their list this year.  If they both weren’t in agreement on it I don’t think we could swing it. You have to buy the console plus games, plus start up kits, accessory kits, expansion kits, and who knows what else. How could you make that a gift for just one kid?

Another problem I have is REGARDLESS of the cost of the one main gift I love to do GROUPS of gifts with themes and beautiful displays.

I read an article yesterday written by my very good friend about being bipolar and she mentioned the high she gets from getting paid and going shopping and how she actually keeps herself home for a couple days after she gets paid and waits for the high to wear off so that she won’t spend recklessly. I can identify with that, can you?

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I love gadgets.  Before parenthood I was a collector of gadgets and loved playing with new gizmos.  These days I don’t have the time or the money to stay on top of the latest technology buy I do enjoy at least hearing about what is going on out there. I giggled when I ran across these talking watches Idon’t even wear a watch anymore because my pda phone is rarely NOT in my hand.  But this is something I could see my Dad being interested in if, in addition to speaking the time and date, the watch would announce, “Robert, it’s time for your pills.”  That’d be excellent.

You just have to check out 4 year old Stewart’s reminder to vote.

Sometimes there is a fine line between what we need and what we want, right? And sometimes even the most elaborate and frivolous sounding gadgets can even have purpose. Case in point - A pop up TV.

I like television. I find value in it for many reasons. I will admit right up front that I have used it as “childcare”. Week days from 9 to 2:30 is all I’ve got to work on my growing freelance writing business. If one of my kids is home sick or there is a snow day, I do not have the ability to not work that day. It’s a great day for a Star Wars marathon. There are a few shows that I enjoy watching with my kids because they stir up questions in them about how people treat one another, life choices, etc. Ellen is my dose of sunshine in any weather, as you know, and my kids are free to share in that with me, as well. You get it, right? I like TV.

What I don’t like is for it to be on all the time. I don’t like it as “background noise” and I don’t like the assumption that one gets to watch it. As much as I like it, I still consider it to be a privelage to anyone that must be earned, whether through good grades, completed chores, be it Me, Hubby or Kids.

I removed my Son’s TV from his room a couple of years ago because he didn’t respect the TV rules. It wasn’t just that he watched when he wasn’t supposed to, but because it RULED him. He saw it there, eyeballing him, and was a major distraction. Once it was gone, he didn’t even miss it. He reads in his room, builds things, uses his other resources. Out of sight out of mind.

Until they come into the living room. My kids come home from school and head straight toward the remote control. Which is odd because it was never a routine. It is off when they get home. They turn it on. I turn it back off and they move on. But they just HAD to do it to see if THIS DAY is the day they get away with it.

This is where the pop up TV comes in handy. You know, where the TV very gently is elevated up out of a cabinet or some type of furniture? That is what I need I think. It would make the room look more clean and streamlined, which I like, and would not be a constant antagonizer unto my kids. I know I know I am on a budget today. But since I was just a minute ago talking about the sacrifices we are making in this economy I got thinking about what I would like to splurge on if circumstances were different. Pop up TV would be my splurge. How about you?

I would put a timer on my pop up TV so that it would automatically come on and start playing my favorite workout Turbo Jam. Here is a clip of a couple of little ones all suited up and doing Turbo Jam. Too cute!

This video is not really related to parenting and would probably be better served at a wedding blog but it is so delicious I just have to serve it up here.

We need comedy more than ever, don’t you think?  I, for one, currently find more value in laughter and encouragement, than tips and advice.  With all the rumors flying around about GM buying Chrysler and tens of thousands of Chrysler employees being let go, (Hubby is Chrysler employee) there is nothing more important to me than the power to stay positive and the motivation to keep going.  Whether you are stopping in to actually read the blog or just to drop your entrecard and generate traffic, I know you are feeling it too, to one degree or another.  I can tell by the comments I receive at my various blogs and the emails you send me that everyone has a story.  I think about you all when I write.

There are blogs I visit frequently that just make my day.  Sometimes for the humor and sometimes just because it seems like the author is speaking directly to me.  WooHoo!  Somebody “gets” me!  I don’t know what I can do to create that sense of “feel good” for my readers but I am thinking about it.  In the meantime I’m making a priority out of making you smile with the funny stuff I run across.

This particular video made me laugh so hard I cried.  My Son didn’t think it was that funny, and honestly, it shouldn’t be.  Wedding day mishaps suck.  The Bride has planned and primped and organized and spent money and prayed for perfection.  In a twisted way it is EXACTLY all that stuff that makes it so funny.  You KNOW the Bride and Groom laughed about it… eventually.  Why shouldn’t we?

Are Halloween costume choices becoming more provocative or am I just now noticing because my daughter is reaching the age of wearing them?

Granny M made the best costumes in the early days.  You can’t find kids costumes like that at the stores.  She did a mermaid for Sari one year that was so cute she was the center of attention at the pumpkin festival.  My favorite costume she made for Drew was the year he went as Jack Skellington, our all time favorite ghoul.  Drew’s bean pole stature made him a dead ringer for the tall and boney Pumpkin King, but he wasn’t crazy about the mask.  We have learned that for him, face make up is the best.

Sari and I went into the Halloween USA the other day and I was actually uncomfortable.  There are so many revealing and hootchie mama costumes that we had to be careful of what aisles we went down.  Of course she is so mesmorized by the spooky sounds and hovering creatures that she is not even noticing the naughty nurse’s skimpy uniform, but it’s disturbing all the same.

(Because I can’t fit into them anymore.)  I mean, it’s just disgusting and offensive. (I would give my pinkie toe to be able to wear that costume).  And it isn’t just the adult costumes.

Not so much an issue with the infant costumes and toddler costumes,  but some of the little girl and tweens costumes are ridiculous.  The skirts are too short for one thing.  Then the angle of every costume is “glam” or “punk” which means skimpy and trampy.  It’s not that I approve of blood and gore over skin and glamour, but it IS Halloween, afterall. We have a rule, you can be sweet and innocent or you can be dead.  That’s it.  You can be a precious twinkle fairy or you can be a dead bride.  Don’t even think about being a school girl.

Is it just me?  Am I becoming a fuddy duddy?  What do you think about this trend in vamping up our little vampires?  Or is it not a trend and is the same as it always has been?

Whatever the case, I found some great costumes on sale at Amazon.com.  Shipping is free on many of the Halloween costumes for kids and adults, including all the ones below!

Have you ever experienced a moment where you became painfully aware of your age in a way you had not before? Without thinking we often blame aches, pains, and body failures on age. “Oh I must be getting old.” But that’s not what I mean. I mean where you become aware that you not just older than your kids, but are not really as cool as you’ve fooled yourself into thinking all this time.

I had a moment like that this weekend.

Who watched the MTV video awards?

I have never stopped being in touch with music. I love all kinds. I have had very few “what in the world?” moments as new music and artists emerge. I am rarely shocked.

I missed the awards last year. Admittedly my musical expertise has decline since becoming a parent because I just don’t have the time to pay attention like I have in the past. But although I have not been on the cutting edge of music I have been able to catch up pretty quickly and enjoy what is being played.

This weekend I watched some of the awards and was bored out of my skull! It was only a highlight show, to be fair. But that makes it even worse. These were viewer rated favorite moments. I didn’t know ANYBODY! Where was Madonna? Where was Justin Timberlake? I did see that Paris Hilton was there but who cares? Is John Mayer no longer relevant? Cold Play? Panic at the Disco? I heard Brittney Spears was there but I didn’t see her. I did see Lindsay Lohan… that was a familiar face but I barely recognized her… and when was the last time she had a hit?

It wasn’t really the boredom that got me though. And here is the part that is going to really age me? Who is the Lil Wayne person? EVERYBODY loved him. Michael Phelps was even singing his praise. I watched his performances and I gotta tell ya… I didn’t get it. I was actually confused and trying to figure out what I was missing. And I’m not a prude! But I was all the more confused by the fact that someone who wears their pants BELOW their ass would be wearing Ralph Lauren undies instead of Calvin Klein. The whole experience was just very disturbing to me and I don’t know whether to immerse myself in MTV or to just accept that my hip time is done and move on.

You know, I honestly don’t even know where all these new artists have come from considering MTV doesn’t even play videos anymore.

So tell me, are you current with today’s music? And when did you first realize you might not be cool? Am I just an inch away from telling my kids to “turn down that rock and roll rubbish”?

I love movies so my household was into Netflix very early on.  We eventually switched to Blockbuster, though, because of the option to use the store as well mail.  You know what else I love to do?  Read.  And I recently learned of a Netflix-like program that allows you to rent books to read. 

I suppose I watch movies more than I read just because I sometimes plop down on the couch exhausted with the tube in front of me.  It’s easy to drift off into sleep watching TV.  It’s even cozy.  Whereas falling asleep with a book means the lights got left on and you are going to wake up with paper cuts on your chin from where you were rubbing up against the pages. 

Nonetheless, I like to have books on hand to read.  For $15 a month you can have 3 books checked out at a time.  Bookswim pays for the shipping both ways and provides easy mailing supplies for your return. Bookswim also has that cool feature where you can build a wish list of books in your cue and the company automatically sends out the next one on the list upon return of the last book.   Fun, right?

I just bought some books to keep me busy for a month or so on our last Friday night outing to Waldenbooks but I put it on my calendar for November.  If you get a chance to try it first, please let us know what you think of the service!

I am curious how many people use the Netflix or Blockbuster movie rental service.  How do you feel about having the option available for books, as well? 

The Where’s Waldo books have been a favorite between Drew and me for as long as I can remember.  In the earliest days we snuggled up looked for the red and white striped illusive one before bed each night.  Later, when we had weekly doctor appointments we were thrilled to find a huge Where’s Waldo book in the waiting room.  Week after week the book calmed his nerves as we looked for Waldo and waited for our appointment. 

I was recently reminded of Waldo when I heard Drew yelling “Where’s Andrew?!” from his bedrom.  When I went to his room to see what was going on I was greeted by what you see in this picture.  He was immediately sorry for his genius when I ordered him to stay put while I found my camera.  Apparently his position was not very comfy.

I know everyone knows the Where’s Waldo series but  have you actuallly spent any time looking at any of the books.  They provide endless quiet time and wind down time for kids at the end of the day.  Kids love them alone or in your company.  You will get addicted too because unless you are familiar with them, you don’t realize how hard it is to find Waldo!

Well as luck would have it Waldo is easy to find today.  The newest book came out last week.  Here’s a link to it and some of the previous issues too. Good luck!

How do you draw the line when it comes to scaring your kids?  And just how damaging is it if you cross that line?

I grew up next door to a crazy Aunt who was constantly pulling pranks and lurking in her lilac bushes to jump out and scare me as I walked across the path from my house to hers.  Both she and my Mom enjoyed scary movies so I started watching those pretty early.  

The first book I ever checked out from the public library was Stephen King’s THE STAND.  I have to think I developed my love for the creepy from the early exposure from Mom and Aunt V.

As much as I  loved the scary stories I also became a total scaredy cat!  When I lived alone in my tiny apartment I had to fall asleep before midnight or I’d be up all night afraid.  By the time I was married with a husband working third shift I was sleeping with a butcher’s knife and a gun on my night stand.  The knife was dull and the gun was not loaded but they were to me as that dust cloud blanket was to PigPen… comforting.

Mom’s favorite holiday was Halloween.  I  never liked it because I didn’t get to go trick or treating much because Mom was a worrier.  AND she enjoyed dressing up so much to pass out candy that THAT became our tradition.  Now that she is gone I have taken her place.  I LOVE Halloween now.  Before I had kids I dressed up and scared the glow sticks off our trick or treaters.  MuAH Ha HA!

Recently, with the change in the weather and thinking of fall, I was trying to come up with article ideas about Halloween and I remembered about the time a family friend showed up frantic at our door with a small box in her hand pleading for help.  I was just a little girl but I was worried about her.  When she opened the box there was a bloody finger in it.  I screamed and ran.  Mom and Friend (Aunt D were you there too?) thought it was so funny.  How cruel. 

So I decided to try it out on my 8 year old the other day.  Hee hee.  Well if I was going to write an EHOW how-to article about it I had to make sure it worked, didn’t I?  Poor Sari.  She positively flipped her lid and ran her little body faster across the house than I have ever seen her move.  I wasn’t AS successful with my 12 year old Son… he didn’t quite buy into the prank but he wouldn’t come close to me either. 

It became a gag around our house for a couple of days and everyone seems to have recovered.  If you would like to know how to orchestrate the bloody finger in a box prank click  here to go to my instructions at EHow. 

With Halloween just around the corner I would LOVE to hear some of your best spooky family pranks.  I need some fresh ideas!