My war on Christmas

It started a long time a go before it was trendy. My worry that the season's messages was lost with the children. I will never forget the moment I realized we had lost sight of the meaning of Christmas. We had been unwrapping presents at their 3rd (for our families, the bigs usually end up having somewhere between 6-8 Christmases due to mom, dad, and both sets of grandparents, I guess there are some benefits to divorce) it happened. The dreaded duplicate gift. Instead of the oldest being graceful he loudly announced "I all ready have this can we go to Fred Meyer's NOW and exchange it." No we didn't go to Fred Meyer's that night but that was the moment when I realized we needed to show them that Christmas means more than give me. It means we take extra time with the people we love, that we give to others, and we build solid memories that are based on more than a mountain of things.

Christmas for us also means not going into debt for things we don't need. Are there things that we want and would love to give our children that we don't yes. I think every parent has that moment where they would like to be able to afford things for their children but can't because the funds simply need to be allocated to other places. It wouldn't be responsible for us to go into debt to provide them with things that will be forgotten in a few months and they don't need. Will they get presents?, yes but they will be things that they can enjoy as a family, a new zoo membership, a renewal of our OMSI pass, and other assorted things that we can do together. Stockings will be stuffed for fun too. However we just won't be buying a mountain of things to show our love this holiday season.

We will be working on our giving this holiday season and we need to make it a real effort for it to be a whole year long activity. So far we have done a stocking for charity, I've sewn hats for the hat drive, and I need to drop off things for the toy drive. While it's a good start I really want to make an effort to do more this year. I want to build up in them that it is good to give.

It's also the time for Christmas traditions. We need to go see the tree in Pioneer Square because its something I've done ever Christmas but my first in Portland. That shiny new Zoo pass will include admission to zoo lights. I want to load up the van with the kids, cookies and cocoa and see the light displays that folks have worked so hard on. All things that will take time and hopefully give us some happy memories.

So that's my war on Christmas it's a war on debt, wrapping paper and bows. It's about a return to simpler time. Where the holidays meant time with the people you love not a mountain of boxes and remorse when you get the bills in January.