Author |
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, December 15, 2006 - 7:48 pm
I have only gotten a couple of gifts. I got paid today and got a wonderful bonus from one of my daycare moms so I will be hitting the store on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fun, fun.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Friday, December 15, 2006 - 8:01 pm
Kool Sea. I think I've got it. I'm gonna get mom a gift certificate to a day spa for a massage. I don't think she's ever had one.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 15, 2006 - 8:08 pm
That's a great gift for your mom, Mocha!
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Lancecrossfire
Animoderator
07-13-2000
| Friday, December 15, 2006 - 9:13 pm
I had originally asked for something very specific; a material item. Lotta and the girls are used to material type things for chrsitmas. I changed my request recently. I asked for a different gift. I asked that our family help out a friend who from my view could use some help--for themselves and their family. They were all kind enough to agree. So this year my gift was getting to help a deserving family. In a way there was a second gift for me--my oldest step daughter experienced that giving didn't hurt her. She really needs to learn out giving and not just taking. This will be one of the best holiday seasons I've had in some time!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 15, 2006 - 11:45 pm
Isn't it fun, Lance? We've been doing toys for toys for tots for years, but it got to be a whole lotta fun when the kids got old enough to pick out a toy on their own and drop it in the bin and know why they were doing it. The kids and I picked up mom and off we went. We went to the 99 cent store first and the kids did really well there. They realized if they did most of their shopping there they could get something for almost everyone. By the time we left, they'd each spent about 15 bucks and had just me and Darren left to shop for (Dakota also had my mom.) Last week when grandma took the girls to the Christmas concert, I'd taken a pic of her and Kota, and Kota decided that she wanted to get a frame for the pic. So when we went to Walmart, grandma took the kids and went to find something for me. I took the opportunity to head over to the toys department and found a k'nex roller coaster set Darren had been looking at at Toys R Us earlier this evening. For those who don't know, K'nex is a lot like legos, except the pieces are rods and these interlocking pieces and they're very flexible. There's a whole theme park set they have, a carousel, ferris wheel, a couple of coasters and one of those tilt a twirl rides. The neat part is all these sets come with a little motor and when they are put together they actually move. I got one of the coasters for Darren, and another large tub of K'nex pieces with a book of smaller things to make for the kids and ran it out to the car before grandma brought Dakota back to me. So, they finished shopping for me, grandma brought me back Dakota and she took Caleb off to find something for Darren. Me and Dakota went to get the picture frame then I asked what she wanted to get Darren. She said she'd seen him looking at legos at the toy store earlier and thought that he might like something like that. I kinda stared at her because I hadn't said a word about legos to them at all! We went over though and she looked and looked for some small set that she could afford. Finally she found another k'nex set, this one was an Orange County Chopper motorcycle set. She thought that was totally cool cuz she knows he loves the OCC guys and bikes on tv. Well this is when it gets kinda weird, lol, and when I started to wonder if they'd seen what I'd bought for him. We headed up to check out and ran into grandma and Caleb and he was so excited with what he'd found for Darren. Then he held up another OCC set! They'd even bought two different bikes. At that point I was absolutely positive that they'd seen me buying a set for Darren and the tub for them and ruined Santa's surprise (cuz Kota still believes in Santa.) Caleb said he knows he always gets some kind of legos or k'nex for Christmas (lol, this year is no exception!) and he thought it'd be fun if they could work on their own sets together. When we got done, I put the kids in the car and then mom and I loaded everything in the back. I had to ask...did you guys see me while you had the kids and I was looking at legos and k'nex? She said nope, she knew what I was going to get so deliberately stayed away from that part of the store. She'd asked Caleb what he wanted to get Darren and when he told her that, she said she almost suggested something else but then thought why not let him buy what he wants to buy for his daddy. I think it's so funny though that the three of us were all thinking so much alike! Darren's been working horribly long hours for months though and hasn't really had the time or the energy to just play. He's been golfing once since, hmm, about July, he hasn't been fishing, he hasn't gone to shoot his paintball gun. Tonight he's off playing poker with his buddies but this is the first time in quite a while for even that. I guess they too think he needs something to have fun with at home that he can do with them. We haven't been to Legoland. We've been told from friends that it was kind of a disappointment, kids were either too young or too old to really enjoy it and that the kids would have more fun at Disneyland or Knots than there. LOL, I dread getting anywhere near the lego store or even the lego department at stores with Darren and Caleb! They can spend hours playing with the demos and checking out the different sets they have and talking about how cool this and that are. They are so funny and soooo much alike! I have very little left to do now. Just a few smaller things for Darren and then his mom and my mom. He has me left. I've already decided on my moms gift. She takes care of my great aunt, who needs almost constant care these days, so mom rarely gets to go out with her bf anymore. We're going to get them a gc for a local restaurant and the promise that whenever the two of them want to go out for the night, I'll go over and sit with my aunt. Sis and I are willing to do it anytime she asks, but she doesn't like to ask because she says we've both got kids to take care of. This way, they get a nice dinner out, and a much needed break without her feeling like she's taking one of us girls away from the kids. Rosie, I really enjoy the family stuff much more than anything else about the holidays, lol. I hate shopping and fighting crowds at stores. I can't wait til it's all done and I can focus on the stuff that is really fun like craft day and going to look at lights and reading christmas stories.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 12:07 am
Sounds like you had a VERY productive shopping experience and that is pretty amazing that you all chose similar gifts. Those sets sound awesome. I wonder if that was what Dr Will was given when he and Nicole had that extra time in the house in their BB season? I remember him working on a small ferris wheel that was motorized.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 11:14 am
It could be Sea. The sets are pretty complex and challenging and take a lot of time to put together. This is the one they spent a lot of time looking at last night. I am considering picking it up today if Darren doesn't give me some other idea of what else he wants before I go to finish my shopping.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 11:34 am
that is wonderful Lance!!!! War, Legoland is cool to see at least once and if your boys are really into them they will lvoe it!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 12:33 pm
Oh my, have ya'll seen the news story about the four year old twins who sent letters to Santa last week and one of them came back as having an insufficient address and returned to sender, poor kid! Mom and grandma contacted the post office who told them to bring the letter back and they'd make sure it got sent to where it was supposed to go. I was just watching a video clip on msn about it and actually had tears in my eyes. The boys mother said that one of their local radio stations called him and put him in contact with Santa, so he got to talk to Santa on the phone. (Sorry, I saw a video clip and don't know how to link to them.) Earlier this week Caleb came home from school so excited and told me they had a great class project to work on. Their kinder reading buddy class was writing letters to Santa and the fifth graders would be writing back as "Santa's Helpers." He loved the idea that it was a special surprise and older kids I talked to all felt the same way. Caleb's reading buddy happens to be our neighbors boy, the one I pick up from school and when I picked him up he was so excited he came out of the classroom waving his letter and telling me all about how Santa's elf wrote back to him. He talked all the way home about it and I kept catching Caleb in my mirror with the cutest little smile on his face, lol.
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 3:26 pm
years and years ago (my son is 15 now)I read the book the polar express to him. He was about three or four at the time. As many of you know the story talks about a bell that only people who believe in Santa can hear and this bell was the first gift that santa gave out at christmas. I bought a very nice simple brass sleighbell, didnt cost much but looked very authentic. Christmas morning, we crept into my sons room, rang that bell in his ear and quickly dropped it on his bad and ran back to our beds. My son woke up at the sound of the bell, he found the bell and ran out and saw his presents. He was so thrilled that he heard santas reindeer riding away from the house and that one of the reindeer dropped its bell on his bed. He still has santas reindeers bell in his treasure box. He stopped believing in Santa when he was 10 (yes a rather late age but mostly due to his tangible proof that Santa exists - the dropped bell). I honestly believe that was the best present he got ever from Santa and it is still treasured. He even brought it out this year to let me know he still had "santa's bell" and he still calls it santa's bell.
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Cinnamongirl
Member
01-10-2001
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 3:32 pm
Great story Maris!! brought tears to my eyes...Love it! And a great idea for my son, who just turns 1 this Christmas 
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 4:20 pm
War and Maris, your stories (and your sons, make me smile.
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Lancecrossfire
Animoderator
07-13-2000
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 4:29 pm
I agree--great stories maris and War. I think it's great that Caleb and Dakota were on the same wave length as you War. I'm sure darren will enjoy the thought behind everything. I like the fact they get something for someone else too. I feel if that idea is learned early, many random acts of kindness will be seen in their life times.
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 5:32 pm
It is the simple things Lance.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 7:22 pm
I love this thread! My daughter was firmly convinced there was a Santa when she was little. We went to a local craft fair at Christmas where there was a Santa on a stage. His wife, dressed as Mrs. Clause, would ask each child what they wanted. She was wearing a small mic which she would secretly convey to Santa (he had the receiver in his ear) what each child said. Well Emily came back very very excited, because Santa KNEW and she didn't tell him that she wanted a REAL greyhound! For years, she was convinced he had to be real, because only the real one would know that! ..LOL
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 8:32 pm
OMG(osh) I love the Santa stories! I just love the magic and innocence of kids believing in Santa, it's pure fun. Maris, I love the bell idea! What a great memory for your son. Twiggy, for the past few years, when the kids write letters to Santa, I just mailed them to my sister and vice versa. They always thought it was so cool that Santa knew things like their dogs name or a specific incident that had happened during the year where they were extra special good. I finished up all my shopping tonight. I just need to pick up some candy canes and probably more wrapping paper, but everything else is done hehe. The kids and I also spent a couple hours wrapping what they bought last night along with the gifts Darren and I had picked up yesterday for our nieces and nephews. They did such a good job, working for their money then shopping and wrapping everything up. Darren and I were watching them earlier sitting on the floor, paper all over the place, tape stuck to them and were just beaming, lol.
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 9:29 pm
I live 16 miles from Santa Claus' house in North Pole, Alaska. There used to be an older gentlemen who lived in North Pole who looked exactly like Santa Claus. This man and his wife had a phone number and an answering machine set up for kids to call and the answering machine would have a wonderful and constantly changing message from Santa and the kids could leave him messages. I don't know if it's still there or not but my kids loved it when they were little. And, they knew I did know Santa's number if they were naughty. LOL
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Egbok
Member
07-13-2000
| Sunday, December 17, 2006 - 9:01 am
Grooch, I'm getting back to you on your question about this tree...
The woman who designed it is in Europe for the holidays and our Healthcare Foundation will give me the answer as soon as they make contact with her. I found out this tree was purchased by the NICU doctors and placed in our Pediatric Unit, so I went there yesterday to check out the tree in person. To me it looks as if the woman took a full tree (sorry, I don't know the type of tree) and had branches cut back to the trunk part of the tree. Then branches were trimmed back to make the limb look very thinned out. Then lots of white flocking was applied. I hope this helps until I get an exact answer.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Sunday, December 17, 2006 - 8:16 pm
We finally decorated our tree today!

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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 4:57 am
Thanks, Egbok!
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:02 am
Visited Santa yesterday
Thanks to my "resizer" 
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:20 am
she's absolutely adorable scooter!
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:24 am
Thanks Landi 
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Mamapors
Member
07-29-2004
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:29 am
Ahhhh, I miss taking my son to see Santa. Even though he cried until he was 6. She is adorable and I love her dress and boots.
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Monday, December 18, 2006 - 11:30 am
Thank you Mama....She has never cried...lol!
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