Today I am spending the day baking Christmas cookies.
I make the same ones every year, the ones my mom used to make for us.
This is a tradition that is expected and I love to make them for my family.
There is nothing special about these cookies other than we only make them for Christmas.
That is a tradition I love!
However there seems to be another tradition that I was hoping would not happen this year.
BUT IT DID!
You see my oldest son has been sneaking into his gifts every year since he was about 4.
I started trying to hide them where I thought he would not look.
HE FOUND THEM!
I tried to quick wrap some so that I could get ahead of myself.
You see, I have to shop for presents from the kids Grandfather and Bonnie and I also shop for his other Grandmother. There is a lot to keep track of! I am only human, I forget where I put things if I hide them TOO good!
HE FOUND THE ONES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FROM SANTA!
So I would have to REWRAP the Santa gifts and change them with the gifts from my father or their grandmother.
I do NOT want to be the BAD mom who lets her son find out there really is no Santa.
This year I put the gifts, half wrapped again, only because you know I will forget what I got and I will have to unwrap them, and YES that has happened......several times.
This time, I put them behind a locked door.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
There is more than one key.
bam, bam, bam,
pull, pull, pull.
That was the sound of my head hitting the table and me pulling out my hair.
This happened yesterday.
What did I do?
Oh I did contemplate harm,
so off they went with their father for the day.
Goodbye.
When they came home the children found bags of toys in the kitchen.
I was done being nice.
I took them ALL back.
I went shopping for ME!
A new sweater,
an ornament for my stocking,
a garden angel from my father.
Oh, I had a grand time, I was in one of my favorite stores, T.J. MAXX.
Where else can you get all of that and have money left over.
Then I went to Target to return more toys!
More shopping for me!
And so this was repeated
4 TIMES!!!!
I made sure that I shopped until the kids were tucked into bed.
NO sugarplums dancing in their heads!
Today I am not as MAD but we did have a chat this morning.
I had to ask
DO YOU WANT SANTA TO COME?
I think one of the elves is going to have to make a visit tonight, maybe leave a hint of,
THE NAUGHTY LIST!
What do you think, do these three angels belong on the naughty list?
Has this ever happened to you?
Were you a peeker or shaker?
I feel better talking about it, it is a new day and I am off to bake.
Have a wonderful day!
If he purposefully LOOKS for his gifts and finds them I think I would give them to a needy child and he would definitely get a Christmas gift, but NOT the one he found which is likely the one he really wanted since Mom so lovingly did her best to hide it.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
andrea
This happened to us a time or two...we then had a neighbor hold onto them until the big day..it worked out well. Boys will be boys....
ReplyDeleteGranted, I didn't grow up believing in Santa. My parents didn't want to lie and have to explain later what they did. However, my guess is if he's finding his presents, he probably already knows the truth about Santa but plays along with it for now.
ReplyDeleteIf he's purposely looking for gifts, I'd probably take all the good ones back. Obviously give him something, just not the "better" thing he would have gotten. My bet is, he will not try this next year.
I probably wouldn't rely on a family member to hide gifts. I once saw a 3 year old who announced she was getting such and such Barbie for Christmas. Her mom kept correcting her that she asked Santa for this Barbie. The little girl looked at her mom like she was stupid and announced "No, I already HAVE such and such Barbie. I saw it in Grandma's closet."
The mom looked shocked, totally unaware then said to all adults listening that she guessed Grandma would have to find a better hiding place.
That's sad. They look like such sweet kids.
ReplyDeleteI was a different at that age. I had two problems with gifts. I never tried to find out what I was getting, but my family has never been good at hiding, so I would often catch glimpses and then have to pretend like I didn't see anything.
The other thing, that seemed to ruin things for people, is my ability to guess what's in a package. After about the fifth time over the years of hearing, 'you had to guess and ruin it didn't you?' I gave up guessing.
First of all those cookies are my all time fave!!!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I was & still am a shaker!
My mom said when I was little she used to unwrap all the presents try them on her & me & then re-wrap them!!!
I've never had that problem with my kids so I dont know what kind of advice to give...Maybe you can drive around with them in the trunk of your car..lol
Those are my FAVORITE Christmas cookie and usually the only ones I bake. My mom and sister do all the baking, but with my mom gone now, my sister and daughter try to bake the things we loved most growing up. I did make chocolate log for my cookie party but it didn't look as pretty as my moms but it sure tastes great! Your sweet little angels look so innocent, memories!!!!
ReplyDeletePoor TS.
ReplyDeleteYOUR CHILDREN ARE GORGEOUS!!!
Oh I have been that mad. I have. I think you handled it so well. Does he tell the other kids what they got?
I must say that I HATE surprises. I would rather not get something than be surprised by it. So I do remember peeking once or twice.
We decided not to do Santa with Millie Kate. He's not forbidden or anything, we just said it's a fun story and people like to pretend that he comes on Christmas to bring presents. Now who's the bad mom? Ha, It's me!
Anyway, You should go easy on the little guy. He's not to blame. It's all TS's fault.
What sweet faces! My oldest daughter told me Sunday that she just recently found a gift for her seven year old son that she hid from him last year and forgot!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Beautiful family! They do look like angels! Why is that visited on us, all that deceptive cuteness?
ReplyDeleteIt really is TS's fault - he just had to guess and ruin it.
So, when my girls snooped last year I told them I wasn't going to wrap any of that stuff. They were so mad. I think I got the point across, but it's getting easier because we only get them one thing off their interminable "lists", and everything else is freestyle.
Merry Christmas!
treasuresDecember 16, 2010 at 4:25 PM
I received my giveaway gifts!!! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteThey are all lovely, and I will be doing a post about it today or tomorrow. I tried doing paper mache sheet music balls, so I know how much time is involved in your ornaments. Thank you so much! I hope you have a Merry Christmas with your family;
and I hope your kids get some presents :).
~ Julie
Completely darling pic of the kids! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteNaughty? never..........xoxo jeanne.
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