Mom For A Moment: Christmas 2012, Part 2

So our Christmas traditions have been shaping up over the past few years and we always gather with family, usually Keith's parents on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed fondue, a Sandberg Christmas Eve tradition that was delicious (yes, forgot my camera)

A tradition I have fond memories of from growing up with having a sleepover with the siblings on Christmas Eve, so Conner and Alaina set camp in the bonus room. Yes, that is how they slept, Conner in the recliner and Alaina on a bare couch. Kids. : )

Keith and I were super smart this year and chose no gifts that required assembly and I have even wrapped some in advance, so it made out night short and sweet which we welcomed.

We have made a concerted effort to not make Santa gifts too elaborate. I still have mixed feelings about the whole Santa thing, I mean it is fun and all but a person, or article (or something) I heard or read recently had a good point. Do I really want my kids to feel like most of their gifts come from a fat guy they don't know that is not even real? No! I paid the money, I shopped the sales, I want credit! HA! No really, I think having some small things from him make sense, but if I am giving my kids big gifts, I want them to know that I gave it to them because I want them to have fun things and I care about them. Anywho...this is what Santa brought this year.

Now if any of you know me at all, you know I am a clearance shopper and like to ~~brag~~ share the deals I find. Hey, being primarily a stay at home does not afford us the ability to buy things at full price. That sacrifice is worth every penny. Especially when you are a good clearance shopper like myself. : )

Conner: Angry Birds, bought on sale, Golf Putter found on clearance, Wii remotes and games on clearance, Star Wars ship clearance and golf balls on sale.

Alaina: New Bike! This was on sale but she was also due for a bike. Since we did get her last bike at a yard sale for $6 and this is the size she will be in for the next 3-4 years, we thought it worth it. The guitar was super clearance, gold belt clearance ($2!), sequin shirt and fingerless gloves, all clearance at Target. Oh, and the helmet? $7 at Tuesday Morning during their half of clearance event. I know. I'm good.

Zane: What do you get when you are a baby AND the third child? Things you need. Bath toys, bath storage set, baby food masher, baby plates...all amazon bought and the token clearance feeding mat. Why not?

Well, kids, as you read this in the future, you will begin to understand just how frugal your parents are. I trust that you will appreciate it since you are already showing signs of influence since, when I come home from shopping, you ask me if I got any good deals. Just like I did, you will make fun of me as you grow older, groan and roll your eyes, but just remember when you give your first gift that you paid only a few dollars for because you found it on clearance.....you are carrying on a lifelong tradition of Riggs frugality. You're welcome.

Carrying with tradition, Santa laid out all the gifts which the kids will run down the stairs to check out (at no earlier than 7am as strictly enforced)

Conner and Alaina were very good at waiting until 7am to wake us and were READY TO GO. It did lessen the mood for Alaina to keep saying with unabated excitement "I KNOW Santa brought me a drum set, I just KNOW it." Um. No, he didn't. That reminds me of another idea I heard about this year. Have the kids write their lists and MAIL them on December 1st. That way there is no changing them. That will keep you from doing what I was doing on Chrismtas Eve when they wrote their lists. "Are you sure you want that? Didn't you say you wanted a _________?"

The tradition is that the kids stand at the top of the stairs, and when we say "go", they can run down and see their gifts. Well, last year where was, how can I say it? A little hiccup in that playing out. See for yourself. By the way, before you watch, just know that no one was truly injured.

So this year, after being warned strictly to WALK down, here is how it went down. Notice the measured, paced steps to their gifts. : )

Where was Zane during all this you ask? Fast asleep. He slept in and then joined us for the opening of the gifts where he taste tested everything he got.

It was a FUN morning as we took turns opening our presents (our family rule is that you get one present from each person, so we each had four to open) and eating cinnamon buns and egg cassarole.

Grandma and Grandpa came over.