In anticipation of Christmas this year, Mark and I decided to try to have a no, or low, toy Christmas (with one major exception*). Before you holler, "Scrooges!," come take a look at our playroom full of toys, with more stashed in the garage, and keep in mind that our kids didn't ask for any toys either.
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We cheated and allowed the kids to open a few gifts before we left on our trip to Utah. Aubree chose to use her own money to buy gifts for her brothers. It was nothing fancy, just a matchbox car for each, but she was so excited to choose and wrap them, and her brothers were equally thrilled that she thought enough to get them something.
The kids also got to open their gifts from the Winters grandparents and cousins. From the cousin gift exchange, they got books and crafts - perfect!
From their grandparents they got *the major exception, Legos. We've been looking forward to this leap-beyond-Duplos for a while, and though we knew we'd love real Legos, I wish someone had told me that they were magical-make-siblings-get-along-perfectly-and-play-together-happily-for-hours toys. If I'd known, I'd have bought them years ago.
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Christmas Day in Utah had some gift highlights I wanted to record. For example, Mark and I found the perfect shirt for Aubree on Threadless.com. She says it's her new favorite.
We were worried that not buying toys would make it hard to find gifts. It wasn't! Each kid got an article of clothing (Thane got a BYU hat & Bryce got a BYU sweatshirt), a Disney DVD, and something artsy/crafty. In addition, Aubree got earrings and I made the boys aprons (because all the aprons in our house previously were girly, and they needed something to wear when they help in the kitchen, or when they're already dressed for church and need to eat). The aprons are identical. They're also reversible and have elastic for the over-the-head piece and velcro for the waist tie, so the boys can put them on independently.
Graham only got a couple gifts and didn't mind a whit! I pretended to be a seamstress just long enough to make him a car seat blanket (that's something that his older brothers, who were babes in the Florida summer, never needed). It's awesome! I also made one for Kira and Colleen's babies.
One of Kira's kids got Aubree's name in the cousin gift exchange. That's a win for Aubree. Not only did Kira make a huge assortment of hair streamers for Aubree, she also made matching clips for Kit's hair. Kira even wrapped Kit's gift separately, a detail that made Aubree positively glow.
One of the things I love about my mom is her fervency; she feels intensely and wears these feelings like a t-shirt. When she's excited, she bubbles over. I know this picture is blurry, but it's a perfect illustration of what I mean; this is Bryce getting ready to open the gift Grandma got him. Grandma can hardly contain herself!
Grandma was even more excited about Aubree's present; she made Kit a whole new wardrobe, and then found a fabulous suit case for Aubree to store them in.
Have I mentioned that my mom is an excellent seamstress?? Because the clothes she made for Kit are AMAZING. My sisters and I are trying to convince her to make some American Girl doll outfits to sell on Etsy or something (because, have you seen the price tag on genuine AG clothes?!).
This was the first Christmas since my dad passed, and it wasn't easy for my mom. Lauren and Dylan got her an amazing gift - they had the last words my dad wrote to Ian ("Have Faith, Stay Safe, Serve God") made into metal wall hangings. It was the one gift that brought her to (happy) tears.
When my mom was here visiting for Graham's birth, she lamented the fact that she hadn't kept a journal to record all the things that have happened in our family during the last, momentous, 6 years or so. That comment sparked an idea, and I spent some time proving her wrong...
When Colleen was serving her mission my Mom sent her (and the rest of us) long, detailed weekly letters. She continued these weekly family missives for another year after Colleen got home. I pulled out all those emails and compiled them into a book (241 pages, single spaced, 11 pt font!). No journal, my foot! I think it's one of the favorite gifts I've ever given.
I think we all must have been on a nostalgic bend, because my mom gave each of us sisters gifts from our childhood - homemade dresses and dolls and cradles - that we didn't know she'd kept. One of the things she gave me was a Rainbow Brite doll she made me. I remember opening that doll one Christmas morning. I'd wanted a Rainbow Brite doll more than anything. But I was a thoughtless child, and was disappointed to find a homemade doll rather than the store-bought one I'd seen in commercials. I didn't know then that it was the most complicated things my mom had ever made; that she spent hours and hours on the intracite details of the boots and eyes and dress. Though she's old and dirty now, she's a priceless token of my mother's love and devotion.
Finally, a couple of my sisters asked me to blog about what I put in my kids' stockings. I don't think it's anything extra special, but I'll include some of the ideas here (some of these are from past years): cool toothbrush, toothpaste, character band-aids, BYU beanies, beads (for making necklaces... Bryce, aka Cassanova, likes to make necklaces for the girls in his primary class), small toys (i.e. matchbox cars or strawberry shortcake dolls), sometimes candy, tic tacs (always a huge hit with my kiddos), pez dispensers, fruit snacks (a rare treat around here), new sippy cup/water bottle, fun socks (this year Aubree got fancy knee highs, and Thane got socks with vehicles on them...one of his favorite Christmas gifts), fun underwear, coloring books, mittens, coupons (haven't done this one yet, but am planning to next year ... things like, "stay up an extra 15 minutes," "watch a movie," "get out of a chore," etc.), chapstick, and, uh, that's all I can think of right now.
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