Double H Holidays

Gift giving can be stressful for some people, and for others, it is how they show their love and appreciation.  These people seem to always be related and have different opinions about holiday gift-giving rules. I LOVE giving gifts, I am always on the lookout for things that fit the people I care about, so that their gifts are specific to them and have meaning. That is just not a skill that some people have, and there is nothing wrong with that. I respect that some people just want to be together during a holiday and not worry about gifts, but I always respect that for some people, giving gifts is their favorite part of the holiday season. Making sure that our kids understand that gifts are not the point of holidays is important to my family, and we always remind the kids why we are celebrating the holiday.

The holidays as a kid are just the best; as an adult, they can easily become the most stressful time of the year. Early in our marriage, my husband and I would travel a crazy number of miles on birthdays, Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day just trying to get to each family gathering.  The first years with our oldest son were always so stressful, annon-stopop trying to make all the stops. It did not help that my husband was on a 4-day on, 4-day off schedule and would often not be able to make it on time, and many times not at all.  It is hard to set boundaries, but as usual, if it is what is best for your kid, then it's the best option for your family. 

Growing up, we always spent Thanksgiving and Christmas split between my grandparents' houses.  Playing with cousins, eating, watching football, and then heading to the deer lease. We have spent many Thanksgiving days at the deer lease with family and friends celebrating, eating, hunting, and having camp fires.  Christmas for us means baking together and seeing each other's reactions to gifts.  Preparing for Santa and making sure Christmas magic is in high supply.  This is what my kids have always known, and I hope they continue the traditions we have been building for generations. 

With one birthday right after Christmas and one during Spring Break, we do our best to make sure that each kid feels like their day is about them. We usually don't get to have the party on their actual birthday, but we always have dinner of their choice on their birthday and then have the party the next weekend.  When it comes to adults, I think you get dinner, and if there is something else going on, be an adult and move on. Anniversaries are in that same boat for me; celebrate if and when you can.