Well, I'll be in the minority, but one of my favorite things about Christmas has become seeing the look on my child's face when she opens gifts. I admit that my husband and I don't really do much for each other at all anymore at Christmas, but getting creative within a budget, and getting something Guinevere is guaranteed to love, is not just a fun challenge, it's got an automatic reward.
I have no problems with gift-giving at Christmas, as long as it's accompanied by the lessons of generosity and kindness, etc.
We have lots of other traditions though, so the main focus isn't gift-grabbing, but gifts are for sure part of it (as is Santa, and this is her first year to be aware of Santa, so that's been fun too).
I've still got a lot left to do in terms of getting the basement ready -- that's the big "gift" for us all, since it's being turned into a family/play room. There's a hideyhole room under the stairs that is being turned into Guinevere's little dressup room, and I have yet to pain a mural on the wall. Hopefully this weekend.
The only gift I haven't bought yet is the one for Heifer/World Vision. Will do that this weekend or Monday. Otherwise, we're done.
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In other news, my sacrum is HURTING. And I haven't been able to find something to fix it. The chiro, yoga, stretching, pillows, pills, heat/cold, oils, you name it, I've tried it. Someone suggested craniosacral (sp?) therapy, but I don't know anything about it. Have to do some digging. Anyone else having low back issues?