Do you really know what you want?

[Evil Alpaca]

Especially yours. Awww.... *pet ears* *scatch nose*

Oooh! That's the spot! (Scritch scritch scritch)

 

[nikkijames]

this dial up crap is for the birds though... but i am still LAST haha

oh wait .. wrong thread huh?

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Nothing to be afraid of. Alpaca are loveable and cuddly . . . gosh darnit!

and warm and a good source of transportation.

 

[minsue]

Oooh! That's the spot! (Scritch scritch scritch)

I can't get rid of this mental image of an alpaca kicking it's hind leg.

 

[carsonshepherd]

and warm and a good source of transportation.

Also, they make lovely sweaters!!!

Well... they don't. Their fur does, 'cause alpacas can't knit. Can they????

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Also, they make lovely sweaters!!!

Well... they don't. Their fur does, 'cause alpacas can't knit. Can they????

Some can. I can't.

I can't get rid of this mental image of an alpaca kicking it's hind leg.

That was the point! The Alpaca shoots and scores! And the crowd goes . . . home.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Yes, I want things. There are tons of things I want.
Material things I mean. But then I think.. do I need them?
In the past, the answer has always been, "Absolutely!"

Even for everyday things. Clothes for instance. It was always so groovy to take mom's credit card and go on a shopping binge. But did I really need those seventy-dollar sweaters I got? Hell no. I wore them each once.

Now that I have a real job, even though I live at home for free, and eat mom's food for free, she doesn't buy me anything, unless its for Christmas or my birthday. My wardrobe has diminished. I don't have a pair of shoes to go with every shirt.
I found myself asking for practical things last year for Christmas. Black socks. Panties. Windshield wiper blades. In place of the sweater with rhinestones, a gaudy Emerald ring, and more CD's than I knew what to do with.

I guess I look at my stepmom and little sister. My stepmom doesn't have money for frivolous things. Very rarely can she do anything above and beyond what my sister needs. On one hand, I feel awful, that my sis isn't getting the extravagant Christmases that I got. On the other, I think she'll fare well with that. It won't teach her to be a greedy gut. She'll learn to appriciate what she does have.

Sorry, I'm rambling.
This year.. what do I want?

I want to see the looks of joy my great-grandma gives us all, when the family walks into the nursing home for our Christmas celebration.
I want to watch her eat like a little hamster, and be tickled pink over the bows on her packages.
I want my Grandma's surgery to go well, and her to be on her road to recovery very quickly.
I want the weight of taking care of the both of them, and their personal business to be lifted from my mother's shoulder's for at least a few days.
I want my stepmom to be able to make her house payment, and give my sis a magical Christmas.
I want my sister to have a magical Christmas.

For me? I want to find happiness in my job.
I want to be successful at what I do.
I want to be truly happy again.

And yes, I even need some new socks.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Sweets, all it takes to be a regular is to be here.

And welcome

It also takes fiber.

 

[SensualCealy]

I always think that when someone asks you 'what do you want for Christmas', and you don't have an answer, it usually means you don't NEED anything.

I don't NEED anything but would love a Christmas without having to worry about January and February coming up and biting me on the ass.

My family use to do a fun thing, we would put slips of paper in a hat and draw one out. What ever was on the paper is what we had to buy, if it said 'blue', every gift had to be blue and under $10. 00. If it said 'wax', each gift had to be made of wax and under $10.00.

None of us have alot of disposible income, and this made it fun. Now we have two more grandbabies in the family to bring our total to 17. This year as well as last year we are only buying regular stuff for the kids.

I told hubby yesterday, I had a pair of pants I bought and havent wore yet that can go under the tree from him. I got them for the job interview I had a week ago but chose to wear the second pair I bought. Makes it easy on him and no extra spending was done on something I dont like.

This year it would be nice to have a calm and restfull Christmas over anything else.
C

 

[carsonshepherd]

I always think that when someone asks you 'what do you want for Christmas', and you don't have an answer, it usually means you don't NEED anything.

I don't NEED anything but would love a Christmas without having to worry about January and February coming up and biting me on the ass.

My family use to do a fun thing, we would put slips of paper in a hat and draw one out. What ever was on the paper is what we had to buy, if it said 'blue', every gift had to be blue and under $10. 00. If it said 'wax', each gift had to be made of wax and under $10.00.

None of us have alot of disposible income, and this made it fun. Now we have two more grandbabies in the family to bring our total to 17. This year as well as last year we are only buying regular stuff for the kids.

I told hubby yesterday, I had a pair of pants I bought and havent wore yet that can go under the tree from him. I got them for the job interview I had a week ago but chose to wear the second pair I bought. Makes it easy on him and no extra spending was done on something I dont like.

This year it would be nice to have a calm and restfull Christmas over anything else.
C

There are so many of us in my family, and none of us are rich, we gave up buying gifts for each other years ago.

I take what money I would spend on my 2 nephews (about $50 each) and spend it on toys for Salvation Army's Angel Tree and donate the toys. My nephews are old enough this year to be told I do this, and why. They've got too much already and would never miss what I would get them, while the kids in the Salvation Army program are low-income and actually need these toys.

It's not much, but it is something more than just more toys for kids who already can't play with every toy they have.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

There are so many of us in my family, and none of us are rich, we gave up buying gifts for each other years ago.

I take what money I would spend on my 2 nephews (about $50 each) and spend it on toys for Salvation Army's Angel Tree and donate the toys. My nephews are old enough this year to be told I do this, and why. They've got too much already and would never miss what I would get them, while the kids in the Salvation Army program are low-income and actually need these toys.

It's not much, but it is something more than just more toys for kids who already can't play with every toy they have.

You're a beautiful soul, as are so many others here.

 

[carsonshepherd]

You're a beautiful soul, as are so many others here.

Nah. Just remember what it's like not to have much under the tree and to be delighted with just having anything!

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Nah. Just remember what it's like not to have much under the tree and to be delighted with just having anything!

Understood, that's going to be Christmas for my kids this year, I'm hoping to make it somewhat enjoyable.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

In all seriousness (or as close as I can get), I actually don't want gifts this year. Not because I'm not materialistic (I actually kind of am), but because I'm moving across country two days after Christmas to a new job. I just really want to enjoy my last few weeks with family and friends before being in a position where I won't get to see them nearly as much.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

In all seriousness (or as close as I can get), I actually don't want gifts this year. Not because I'm not materialistic (I actually kind of am), but because I'm moving across country two days after Christmas to a new job. I just really want to enjoy my last few weeks with family and friends before being in a position where I won't get to see them nearly as much.

Good luck with the new job, hope it all works out well.

 

[impressive]

I take what money I would spend on my 2 nephews (about $50 each) and spend it on toys for Salvation Army's Angel Tree and donate the toys.

Half of what I budget to spend of each of my kids each year is for THEM to spend choosing toys to donate. I consider it a gift to teach them how to GIVE. They really get into it, too. Last year, my middle child literally BEGGED me to go over his allocation because he wanted to donate something that cost $10 more than he had to spend. How could I say "no" to THAT?

Then, while mine are opening their gifts, we talk about what those other kids are feeling as they open the gifts chosen for them. I've seen my youngest completely forget about her most coveted toy as she animatedly describes how happy she's made another child. It's wonderful to watch.

 

[alyxen]

Half of what I budget to spend of each of my kids each year is for THEM to spend choosing toys to donate. I consider it a gift to teach them how to GIVE. They really get into it, too. Last year, my middle child literally BEGGED me to go over his allocation because he wanted to donate something that cost $10 more than he had to spend. How could I say "no" to THAT?

Then, while mine are opening their gifts, we talk about what those other kids are feeling as they open the gifts chosen for them. I've seen my youngest completely forget about her most coveted toy as she animatedly describes how happy she's made another child. It's wonderful to watch.

Wow, that is a great idea Imp. If I weren't still trying to wake up, it would probably bring a tear to my eye (and I mean that seriously).

 

[Guest]

I want 2005 to be better than 2004. 2004 was a litany of problems for us. IF 2005 trends as 2004 did, we are in big trouble.

I'm new to this thread but Abs first comment rang true.

my first Christmas without being jaded after working in retail

Retail workers give up not only being off around the holidays, but pretty much have the holiday spirit beaten out of them.

How fun can Thanksgiving be knowing the next day is going to be the work day from hell?

While others are wrapping gifts and enjoying visiting family on the day before Christmas, retail workers are trying to calm desperate procrastinators (and last minute con jobs too).

Christmas is spent exhausted and knowing the next day you'll be dealing with hordes of people unhappy with their gifts and wanting to exchange for a particular item, and uncaring why your stocks are depleted and their choices limited.

I've been out of retail for decade and I still can only muster a "Bah Humbug" most of the time.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Half of what I budget to spend of each of my kids each year is for THEM to spend choosing toys to donate. I consider it a gift to teach them how to GIVE. They really get into it, too. Last year, my middle child literally BEGGED me to go over his allocation because he wanted to donate something that cost $10 more than he had to spend. How could I say "no" to THAT?

Then, while mine are opening their gifts, we talk about what those other kids are feeling as they open the gifts chosen for them. I've seen my youngest completely forget about her most coveted toy as she animatedly describes how happy she's made another child. It's wonderful to watch.

That is just great.

I don't have kids - never will - but I am so very, very glad that there are some parents out there not raising their children to be mindlessly materialistic.

Understood, that's going to be Christmas for my kids this year, I'm hoping to make it somewhat enjoyable.

We never had al ot of money, but what made Xmas enjoyable was doing the few special things we did as a family, making cookies, stringing popcorn and cranberries, etc. I don't remember one thing I DIDN'T get for Xmas, but I do remember the empty feeling some years of thinking my parents didn't care that much about us... not because of the gifts we didn't get, but because, for their own reasons, they were emotionally unavailable. Spending that time and that love is so much more important than any amount of money. to you for being there for your kids!

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Spending that time and that love is so much more important than any amount of money. to you for being there for your kids!

 

[nikkijames]

Sweets, all it takes to be a regular is to be here.

And welcome

Thank you

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Sweets, all it takes to be a regular is to be here.

And welcome

Assuming, of course, that you're here regularly...

Welcome nikki,

Q_C

 

[ABSTRUSE]

bumping for the overflow of Santa's bag.

 

[Just-Legal]

I want to be stable.

 

[Goldie Munro]

bumping coz I dont want anything - apart from a whole lot of serious things - so wish away!