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#Post#: 15812--------------------------------------------------
6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
By: Jack Date: November 6, 2019, 3:55 pm
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Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but we're talking
about plans right now, not decorations.
For reference, I have already set up and linked the Thanksgiving
menu so those participating can lay claim to what they want to
bring (yes, Ryan and Noah have both already posted).
Oh, funny story I've been meaning to share....
Corey's daughter, Cindy, turned one this past Sunday. Now, I
really don't expect infants to have big, long, Christmas lists,
but you still don't want to do duplicate buying, so I let Corey
know about our Christmas lists.
For those who don't remember or might have forgotten, we have a
family web site. It blocks spiders, so it shouldn't show up in
most search engines. All the family knows the URL, and it's
pretty open from there. HOWEVER, there are portions one has to
log into to access more private parts, which allows us to
organize things a bit more easily than dealing with a million
and one e-mails. HOWEVER, there is also a super secret, ultra
elite section that requires clicking on a hidden link to enter
the password, then knowing the secret password - that is the
gift registry.
I know, I know - we probably don't need to keep things that
secret, but it allows us to share what the kids want, and to
modify the list as we go, which really makes shopping easier and
avoids the duplicate and unwanted gifts. I think we partially
keep it secret just for fun.
So, going back to Cindy -I told Corey about the super secret,
hidden access to the site, and he flipped out. Maybe it has
something to do with all the adults denying it these past twenty
years or so, or maybe it's because he'll be 30 on Friday, and
he's just learning about it now. :)
Anyway, Christmas is on a Wednesday this year, but the school's
not releasing until Friday, 20 December, and that's also the end
of fall semester, so there will be finals that week. While
there are a few things still up in the air, here's how it looks
right now:
7 Dec - Van's Christmas Charity Ball
14 Dec - Scout Christmas Celebration (and year end troop
meeting)
20 Dec - Open tent after school party
21 Dec - Tribal Party
22 Dec - Cousin's Night
23 Dec - Quiet Night
24 Dec - Obvious
The kids don't start back until 8 January, giving them 2 1/2
weeks vacation this time. While things will be rushed in the
lead up to Christmas, we have plenty of time afterwards. It
won't be quite the same as Christmas parties, but I'm trying to
work out a schedule for each age or group of kids to have most
of their siblings gone, so they can have friends over and have
space to do what they want.
Oh, I should also mention that our Christmas tree will be
arriving on 29 November, the day after Thanksgiving, as usual,
though that will be a slightly shorter season than recently.
#Post#: 15817--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Leti Date: November 6, 2019, 10:30 pm
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You should add Kenny’s birthday and New Year
Hugs
Leti
#Post#: 15818--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: db105 Date: November 7, 2019, 2:43 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=1556.msg15812#msg15812
date=1573077308]
So, going back to Cindy -I told Corey about the super secret,
hidden access to the site, and he flipped out. Maybe it has
something to do with all the adults denying it these past twenty
years or so, or maybe it's because he'll be 30 on Friday, and
he's just learning about it now. :)
[/quote]
He's just become old enough to be trusted with it :D
#Post#: 15842--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Jack Date: November 8, 2019, 2:41 am
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Can't sleep tonight, so I've been sitting here a while. Just
finished placing a huge order online, which I've actually been
working on/contemplating for a few days now. A lot of it is
stuff I can safely order online for the boys - regular pajamas
and cold weather gear, including L.L. Bean house slippers. I
also ordered a lot of the fresh greenery that L.L.Bean sales
that i love - wreaths and centerpieces and miniature trees.
Also, with so many stockings needed in the house, I went ahead
and ordered matching pattern stockings for the new boys (since
I'm not sure I could remember where I bought the old ones, and I
think we already went through all the patterns they had anyway).
Craig and Chance's stockings do basically match - both with a
wide white border around the top/opening, where their names will
be printed in red script. I see they basically match because
the bodies of both are in a tartan - red and green for Craig's
and blue and green for Chance's (both pretty common, commerical
tartans that I think aren't linked with any clan).
I have given up buying Christmas pajamas for everyone. it's
hard to do something different every year, especially between
the size of the tribe these days and trying to make each family
distinct. If Wendy Hogan still lived around here, and we worked
on it all year, I might be able to turn something out. I
suppose I could find a tailor around here and do something
(which is an idea, but I think a bit late for this year). The
one thing I did do (besides ordering Christmas jammies for my
own kids) was to order pajamas for the Tidwell family. While I
didn't exactly try to match everything, I ordered them all from
the same company, so I could be sure their colors would be the
same. I mixed and matched their two different Charlie Brown
designs (which are either red or green) with plain tops or
bottoms of matching red or green, so they can mix and match and
not look like they're all wearing the same thing, while still
having a family theme.
I did the same thing with my kids, but mixing and matching blue,
white, or mixed tops and bottoms with snow man design tops and
bottoms.
The last thing I did was to order fire wood and pine cones and
breakfast sets and hot chocolate/s'mores sets and a few more
personalized gifts for when everyone comes around to help us
decorate.
It feels good to have it all out of the way, but the sad thing
about hitting 'purchase' is that the shopping is done.
Speaking of the shopping being done, yes, I have almost finished
shopping for the kids. While I always leave a bit of room for
the younger kids, to deal with those last minute 'gotta have
its', the older kids are a bit easier to shop for.
#Post#: 15847--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: kalico Date: November 8, 2019, 6:31 pm
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Aww I know you feel when it’s done but it all sounds really
fun.....
Hope everyone enjoys thier new jammies...
Thanks for sharing
Hugs kal
#Post#: 15857--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Jack Date: November 9, 2019, 8:50 am
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I had a question about Craig, and I thought it might be better
to go ahead and answer it here.
Craig was both hard and not hard to shop for. For one thing, I
really want to spoil him, and I've had to reign myself back a
couple of times. This is his first Christmas with us, but it's
not his first Christmas, and he has had a couple of major
shopping sprees since moving in with us. Also, while I don't
think I blogged much about it (at all?) Craig's birthday is 20
Oct, so he's 14 now, and he did get a new phone.
He's actually going to be getting less (numerically) than some
of the boys, but he has expensive tastes.
While I'm going to put a few smaller things around the edges,
his 'Santa Gift' is going to be a 'gaming chair' which not only
is designed to give good ergonomic support while gaming, but
also has built in wireless speakers (2.1). He's asked for a
pair of cowboy boots. I'm not getting him top of the line ones,
since he's still growing, but I picked a sturdy pair of midline
ones. He's also asked for what's basically a pair of dress
sneakers. He does love music, and he's getting a pair of
bluetooth headphones. A good pair still isn't cheap and that
might be something he can keep and use for years, so I don't
mind spending a little extra on it. He had asked for a guitar,
but we have a good electric and an acoustic here, and he doesn't
play well yet, so we decided he can use one of Bobby's old ones
for practice. Instead, he's getting a Lego Mindstorm, since
he's shown interest in both Lego and STEM/robotics, and a
learning toy is always in order.
Besides that, he's getting the regular stuff. Craig doesn't
read a lot, but several of his friends do, as well as his
brothers, and he's found some stuff he likes, so I've found a
few books that are 'gift quality' for him. He doesn't need new
underclothes, but I'll still put a bundle of boot socks under
there for him as a joke. At 14, he's too old to 'play' much,
but, as I said, he does seem to enjoy Legos (and so do several
of his friends), so I have a set of those earmarked to round
things out.
#Post#: 15860--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Zyngaru Date: November 9, 2019, 9:13 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=1556.msg15857#msg15857
date=1573311003]
I had a question about Craig, and I thought it might be better
to go ahead and answer it here.
He's actually going to be getting less (numerically) than some
of the boys, but he has expensive tastes.
his 'Santa Gift' is going to be a 'gaming chair' which not only
is designed to give good ergonomic support while gaming, but
also has built in wireless speakers (2.1).
He's asked for a pair of cowboy boots. I'm not getting him top
of the line ones, since he's still growing, but I picked a
sturdy pair of midline ones.
He's also asked for what's basically a pair of dress sneakers.
He does love music, and he's getting a pair of bluetooth
headphones. A good pair still isn't cheap and that might be
something he can keep and use for years, so I don't mind
spending a little extra on it.
he's getting a Lego Mindstorm, since he's shown interest in both
Lego and STEM/robotics, and a learning toy is always in order.
Besides that, he's getting the regular stuff.
Craig doesn't read a lot, but I've found a few books that are
'gift quality' for him.
He doesn't need new underclothes, but I'll still put a bundle of
boot socks under there for him as a joke.
At 14, he's too old to 'play' much, but, as I said, he does seem
to enjoy Legos (and so do several of his friends), so I have a
set of those earmarked to round things out.
[/quote]
If that is "LESS" numerically. I for certain grew up in the
wrong house. :) :) :)
#Post#: 15863--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Jack Date: November 9, 2019, 12:22 pm
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[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=1556.msg15860#msg15860
date=1573312396]
If that is "LESS" numerically. I for certain grew up in the
wrong house. :) :) :)
[/quote]
Well, a little less. I have to admit that I do kind of spoil
the boys in some ways, though.
#Post#: 15974--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: Jack Date: November 17, 2019, 10:02 am
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During the lead up to Christmas, we do have Thanksgiving, but
that's not such a big deal. Yes, I have a huge family, but we
know how to deal with it all. We do use a tent know, since they
work so well and it's just easier than trying to set everyone up
inside. Everyone has signed up for the menu and we'll have most
of the family home.
The kids will be out of school for the entire week of
Thanksgiving (25 - 29 November). Because the Christmas Break
starts to close to Christmas, we're taking advantage of that by
going into Dallas overnight the 25 and 26. We're still trying
to work out some timing issues, but it looks like we'll be
leaving Monday evening and coming back Wednesday late morning or
early afternoon. That way we can take advantage of some slow
time to start getting into the Christmas mood before we
decorate, which should help make up for the short time we have
(espcially with so many of the kids needing to study for finals
just two weekends before Christmas, which will kind of kill
15-16 December for any family events.
#Post#: 15988--------------------------------------------------
Re: 6 November 2019 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christma
s
By: kalico Date: November 18, 2019, 12:04 am
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Oh how fun for y’all .....
Enjoy some down time and time with the family
Hugs kal
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