There are so many great and wonderful things about Christmas that I really enjoy. However, there are some things about Christmas that absolutely drive me crazy! And here are just a few, I don't want to be too grinchy...
Steve and I went to the mall on Saturday. I don't consider myself racist or anything, but hearing Feliz Navidad a hundred times can just about drive ANYONE insane! It is probably the most repetitive song in the world to begin with, and not to mention one that just seems to get stuck in your head forever. So this is my first pet peeve. Stupid Christmas songs. Joining Feliz Navidad would have to be that song about the Christmas Shoes. You know, the song that the kid goes to buy Christmas shoes for his Mom because he wants her to have pretty shoes when she goes to heaven. It is the song that we all cried over the first time we heard it, but now, it is just plain annoying. Not to mention way over played. As equally obnoxious is great Christmas songs that are ruined by whoever is singing it. If it aint broke, why fix it?
Pet Peeve number 2 would have to be stupid Christmas candy. Non-mint candy canes for example. Spencer went through this phase where he didn't like mint, so that year I obliged him and got some other flavor Candy Canes. And you know what? They never got eaten. No one wanted them. Not even Spencer. I ended up keeping them for a year for Gingerbread making house decorating this year. Again, if it ain't broke? Other stupid candy would include Chocolate covered cinnamon Santa's, Spice drops, and those Chocolate Oranges I have previously mentioned.
Now this one will probably get me in trouble, but it bugs me that much it's worth mentioning. Christmas gifts for the parents. For some reason it always brings out the worst in siblings. For example, some years, someone doesn't pay. And someone gets stuck paying extra. Or we fight over what to get. It always starts with someone sending out an email with a suggestion that goes something like this, "I think we should get started now on Mom and Dad's gift, I had the thought of this *insert cool gift thought here* what do you think? Or do you guys have some other suggestions?" And then if someone suggests something else, that first person gets all mad because "Wasn't my first suggestion good enough?" Uh, you are the one that asked...
Then there is the coming up with a dollar amount to spend. Which always is WAY TOO MUCH! It is almost rediculous. That's right, I said rediculous. There are some couples who are just down right determined to have to spend the exact same amount for both their parents. So if one family is contributing 50 bucks towards Mom and Dad's gift, they feel they HAVE to spend 50 bucks on the other Mom and Dad as well even though in that family they decided that $25 would be sufficient. SO then they cause a stink about needing to up the second family price amount just to be fair. Fair for who?
Then, there is always the fight about who is in charge. And when that is decided, some people just can not let it go. They have it preset in their mind that the person in charge is going to do a bad job and just seem to not agree with anything that person in charge does. SO they even go so far as to call other family members and try to get people on their side and it turns into a huge mess full of hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
My solution? Rotate who is in charge. Starting with the oldest and moving down. Then you mail the "in charge" person with what amount you are comfortable with contributing and a list of suggestions. Then the "in charge" person takes whatever funds were contributed and the suggestions and they decide. They are fully in charge and do it all. They shop for the gift, wrap it and bring it to the party. And all are surprised! Mom and Dad and the other siblings. And then if they are disappointed, they just shut up about it. Keep it to themselves because if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. And just remember, your turn will be coming up and others just might not like what you do either, but that's OK you thought it was a good idea and it was your turn to decide.
My final Christmas Pet Peeve is doing the annual Christmas card. I love to get them in the mail and I love sending mine out, but actually putting it together THAT I don't like. I'm just sayin'.
1 comment:
Andrea: If your frank admissions here don't prompt one of your siblings (or Steves as the case may be) to open discussions about future parent's gifts, and you and Steve can come to an agreement, then you should just "opt out" of the community gift. By that I mean let your siblings know that you will be doing "your own thing" for next year. Then buy what you want and spend what you are comfortable with.
Christmas for kids creates enough pressures; parents or siblings shouldn't create more. I haven't heard a Christmas carol at a mall in over six years and it's not because of my poor hearing. I refuse to step foot in a mall after Thanksgiving; works for me.
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