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When to axe the stocking stuffers?
Well, the years have flown by and we've been through Christmas past, are living in Christmas present and have spent some time discussing Christmas yet to be, and it's those yet-to-be's that have me wondering what to do.
As I've mentioned my kids are for the most part celebrating life in their-mid twenties, and even tho' all three of them don't live at home and two of the three live in different cities, none of them have yet to miss a Christmas at home. I am acutely aware that this won't always be the case, as their families develop and grow, Christmas will probably be a traveling event for my husband and I.
Thus while I still am hosting I tend to hang onto traditions that have been in place since they were young. They still all have individual stockings, they still get packages labeled from "Santa" and the Cookies for Santa plate is still placed smack dab in the middle of the coffee table and my husband still takes one big bite!
So the other night my husband and I began discussing those yet-to-be Christmas and he very sweetly asked me, 'Just how long do you think the kids should get stockings?' Well, I gave him a look that said 'What kind of question is that?' Cuz in my book, forever sounded like the right answer.
I think his question stemed from the fact that he has seen me making additional stockings, due to our expanding family, one for my oldest daughter's boyfriend who will be joining us this Christmas, one for my son's girlfriend who'll also be a new addition and then one for our upcoming granddaughter Chloe, who will be born in April. I think he had visions of not sugarplums but of rows and rows of stockings hanging from every nook and cranny in our house. One small part of me does see his point, afterall kids leave their parents houses, have their own families, start their own traditions and hang their own stockings!
And at some point, I guess, the stockings at my house will become second fiddle, so do I stop or continue to indulge in the tradition... any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated... well, gotta run, have to finish those packages from 'Santa' and get the final stitches on those new stockings...
MaMaBird
The nest is empty and Mama Bird is ready to soar, okay maybe flutter about abit, but let's share ideas about those days when kids leave the house, but never leave the heart!
Comments
Ahh, how sweet that your dd is telling you she still and always will want her stocking!
In the early years we were broke and never did stockings. It wasn't part of our heritage when we were growing up so it was not difficult to not have stockings.
Now I'm a (step)grandma to six, ranging in age from 2 to 6, with 2 of them living out of state.
Every time I think of putting up stockings I stop myself - I cannot picture stuffing all those stockings without knowing how many more grandkids we'll end up with!
I think I have found a solution that will work for OUR family: I'll decorate the top with some greenery or silver or gold ornaments, and hang them throughout the house.
I saw this at an acquaintance's house and thought it adds a dash of color without driving up the expense and commercialism of Christmas. It seems to strike the perfect balance.
I'm sending this to my mom...and Doug's ;)
Seriously, we haven't had stockings since we got married almost 15 years ago. We stopped filling each other's stockings last year. It got to be too much for us. And now Doug and I are talking about not exchanging gifts anymore. Our list has grown so large, that buying for each other has become a chore in our household. Sad, but true.
please keep mine up (or should I say put it up when I bring it home)! Stuffed or not, I agree that Stockings = home :)
Love you!
I had to laugh at this, because I'm 37-years-old and have converted to Judaism, but my mother still buys stocking stuffers and puts them in a stocking for me. ;) I say, if it makes you happy, don't stop!
Emily
NEVERNEVERNEVERNEVERNEVERNEVERNEVER!
Karen, on behalf of children everywhere, PLEASE don't stop with the stockings! I am 40 years 0ld, a middle-aged woman with gray hair and a mortgage. We hang stockings for our family at home. But if I went to my mom's and my stocking wasn't there, I'd be heartbroken. I don't really care what's in it - it's just the idea. Stockings=mom=home. So keep those needles going!