Monday, December 14, 2009

Christmas present

Christmas comes early

Am still thinking a lot about Christmas traditions. Although I've always enjoyed them, having Louis seems to elevate their importance. Like the cake wishing. I'm already wondering what sort of Christmases Louis will remember having had when he looks back on them one day. Obviously I realise time is on my side. He is only 18 months and clearly has trouble just remembering what he's done each day. But, still. It gives me something to think about other than my general fatigue .

Given that we're going to G'ma P's for the actual day, my musings thus far have been fairly materialistic. Specifically: will we be a heavy-on-the-presents family or a more spartan one? I'll never forget friends I had (still have) who must have had diametrically opposed Christmases: one, I'll swear, was pleased to get the two items on her Santa wish list, while the other would spend the entire day opening presents and have a totally new winter wardrobe at the end of it. (But actually, seeing as she didn't get bought any clothes for the rest of winter it was more a question of distribution, my mum pointed out.)

I'm actually getting rather alarmed at the thought of Louis getting lots of Christmas gifts. Which might explain why I haven't bought anything yet. By the time I've finished plotting the cost versus how long I think he'll play with something on some sort of mental graph with x being the amount of space it will take up and y its contribution to the plastic fantastic universe, somehow the transaction never gets made. So far, I haven't bought: a trampoline, a wooden bus, a hobby horse and an Iggle Piggle duvet cover. Not to mention a mini wooden kitchen from John Lewis. (Although the only reason there is that it's £106. If it wasn't it, I'd snap it up.) It's saving me a fortune. But I can't help feeling a bit mean.

That said, the only person who's asked me what Louis might like is my dad, so perhaps the 25th won't be the giftfest I'm imagining! And I already vetoed the replica police bike, complete with siren, that my mum was looking at. Nobody tell Louis!

PS Have just realised how horribly materialistic all that was. I should be worrying about which Christmas church service to take him to. Whoops.

4 comments:

Grandma Penny said...

Maybe some people do not ask you what Louis wants for Christmas because he has already told them what he wants!

Babies who brunch said...

Excellent. Am looking forward to the 'orse' and 'car' he'll have asked for then!! x

Iota said...

The scary thing is, how many times do you have to do something for it to be a tradition? Because you only have, say, 18 chances before they are grown up. They won't remember the first 3 or 4, which brings it down to 14. Then they'll be too cool to participate for about 5 towards the end, which brings it down to 9. That doesn't seem very many, really. 9 Christmas cakes, 9 gingerbread houses, 9 Christmas Eve routines...

Babies who brunch said...

Nine. Wow. Am just realising we needn't have bothered doing anything this year... Still, it's fun watching him play with the wrapping. Happy Holidays Iota.