Parents of the HS Class of 2009 (Part 1)

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
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Missy, re can’t face holiday shopping yet…I have cured myself of that problem the last few years by kicking off the season with a “recycled art market” that mcson’s former school holds. The artists produce things via recycled materials with mostly beautiful (although occasionally kitschy) results.

Somewhere along the line I decided that the more “local” and supportive my gift purchases were, the better I felt about it all and the less commercially compulsive the season felt. So I’ve come to enjoy seeing what some of my favorite artists have come up with each year. Eg. There’s a couple who are adorable and make really nice jewelry from beach glass they find walking along a beach. Another woman makes beautifully exquisite gourd carvings.

On Sat., even though I had the chef coming and ergo had a shorter outing, I managed to find gifts that will be good fits for four people on my list, plus another three cute gifts for my sisters. I got mch handled with a kickstarter gift, and fueled my 7 nieces and nephews dr who obsessions…so I’m in good shape.

I had a near brush with disaster on mcson’s almost-gift. A former classmate of his is involved in a UK company that’s producing a novel musical object/equipment (almost too esoteric to describe but it transcribes percussive vibration into midi music). He’s been totally geeked about its launch, but I missed the kickstarter campaign by a day. So I wrote to the company etc. but then found out, thanks to his UK friend and Facebook, that mcson was one of the original backers so his was shipping this month already :wink:

So much for the cool, sneaky gift plan. Finding ways to surprise him is increasingly above my pay grade :wink:

In other news, I think I mentioned that mch bought me some really nice German-forged knives prior to the cooking class party Saturday. Yup, they’re sharp! Chef sliced open 3 of her fingers in a demo of what not to do. Poor stubborn thing wouldn’t let us stop the class lest we ruin dinner, but finally caved long enough for a vet friend to unofficially patch her up with surgical glue and a surgical glove. Don’t think she’ll be forgetting that party anytime soon :wink:

Despite or because of the ER-level drama, a good time was had by all. Of 11 of us, just about everyone had a hand in making gnocchi, which somehow was still surprisingly and consistently wonderful. I think the only one who didn’t was the birthday boy who we’d liquored up good the night before at a “saloon”…lets just say if the word “saloon” is in the bar name, its a given there will be shenanigans :wink:

I’m aiming for a quiet weekend to recover from the not-quiet weekend…but alas, its only Wednesday!

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KMC - sounds like a great weekend even with the patching up of the chef! :slight_smile:

I think if H is still good with the plan I’m going to give DIL my machine. She has indicated that she wants a sewing machine but something better than her mothers that is VERY limited. That being said I don’t think she is into the embroidery yet (I’ll get her there maybe :slight_smile: :slight_smile: ) My current machine is an older embroidery machine with a PCMCIA interface and card reader that is increasingly more difficult to find SW for but since I’m techie I can usually patch something together to make it work. Since she isn’t that into the embroidery part just giving her a VERY nice sewing machine should be good. Thought I would also give her a note indicating any issues I’m on the hook to repair/ replace and something on how this machine lovingly sewed her husbands clothes when he was a child but has also sewed a couple of her sons as well including his Christening outfit for this weekend. Also sewed her linens that I gave her for her wedding shower along with a baby quilt I made her son for that shower. You know something sappy. :slight_smile: Since she is pregnant again I’m sure that will bring out the tears. I’m doing other things for her as well but D is going to do like a sewing basket type thing for her I think.

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Sounds like a good plan, RM. I love the idea of the note along with it.

I am a very minimal holiday shopper. I was overwhelmed years ago marrying into a family that bought gifts for everyone. As the family expanded due to marriages and babies, I had a list over 30 people long (including my own family). And everything had to be shipped. Some people love to do this, but for me it was a huge stress that ruined my Christmas. I started cutting back with my family (they were all on board), then broke the news to H’s family that we were out. They didn’t like it initially, but lived with it. My kids prefer one larger gift over a bunch of stuff, so that works. S wants an airline ticket to visit a friend in Thailand. We will talk to D and SIL about what they want (individually or together) and except for some stocking suffers that’s it. Not everyone’s idea of gift giving, but it works for us.

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I think it’s all what works for you FG.

I LOVE the holidays and really get into it. Love the hustle and bustle and love being “over” busy. I host a dinner party for 18 and do all the work a couple of weeks prior to Christmas every year, make my own Christmas cards, buy gifts for all H’s family and then do ours up LARGE, plan Christmas dinner for us and cook it, do all the shopping and wrapping, and usually clean the house from top to bottom including washing all the walls prior to the holidays. Yup – I"m one of THOSE people. :slight_smile: I just REALLY get into it. For me it’s more about tradition. This is the way I grew up. Christmas was always a big deal for my family. Not so much for my H’s but he loves what I do. Oh and of course homemade cinnamon buns for Christmas breakfast! Can’t forget those. And the family going to see a Christmas Carol. Just very holiday type of family. :slight_smile: I’ll do around 10 gifts and stocking for H, 15 or so for the 4 kids (S, DIL, D and BF) alone and then a few for H’s mother. We don’t buy any more for H’s brothers or SILs but just for their kids kids which is fun - I love buying for kids. :slight_smile: On the 26th I REST! At least I no longer cook dinner for H’s family for Thanksgiving - there were 18 of us and I would pack everything up and drive to MILs to do the cooking. That no longer happens since she is now in an apartment (at 95 the house was just too much). So now we go out. Dinner isn’t as good but I can not cook for a increasingly growing family (in the 20s now) in an apartment kitchen! See I LOVE the holidays and well NO isn’t really in my memory at the holidays. Oh – this year I added a day of cookie baking with D and DI - the day after our holiday party – not sure what I was thinking but it will be fun I’m sure. :slight_smile:

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Oh forgot to mention that I’ve made a cowl and mittens for D, currently working on mittens for DIL, working on a shawl for MIL and have the yarn for a sweater for D and a cowl for DIL. Yes I still work but man do I keep busy at home these days. I’m what some would call NUTS!

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RM- I don’t think you’re nuts, but you are really energetic as well as much more talented than I am! I wash I was. I might do more if we had family close by or willing to visit then.

Long ago we made Thanksgiving our thing as that was when our friends could join us. The guest list changes somewhat from year to year although there are two families who join us every year. We like to have a crowd and this is the one time that we do it up- china, silver, crystal, etc.

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LOL. When I was pregnant with Son, I cried at those coffee commercials where the son named Peter came home unexpectedly. RM, sounds like you have a good plan for the sewing machine. And yes, RM, I would call you nuts, while envying your energy tremendously.

Y’all know how big our family does Christmas. I’m sure I’ll be able to get my mind wrapped around it again soon. I hope that after I visit my mom later this month and get her set up with some technology that helps her live a better life, I can have a little less of a cloud over me. I sent her former (now retired) pastor a Facebook message about how Mom is homebound and has so little contact with people. I’m upset at how her church has let her down. The whole “caring for the widows” thing is obviously all talk and a portion of the Bible people choose to ignore. (Gotta concentrate on more important things, like Starbucks cups.) I know I’m not the first one to deal with an elderly parent; thanks for reading my rants.

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I’m sorry to hear that your Mom’s church has not been supportive. Agree that helping folks who need it in any way should be the priority. Is your Mom able to travel. MP? Will you see her at Christmas?

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I’m sure some will consider me a Grinch, but I’ve come to dislike Christmas. Hate would be too strong a word, but it really isn’t my favorite holiday. And we’ve REALLY cut back on gift-giving. I can’t point to any one thing that causes me to feel this way, I just do. I much prefer Thanksgiving when it’s all and only about family. This year will be bittersweet though; first time S won’t be with us.

And did I say I was looking forward to staying home for a while? I’m off to the beach for a couple days. I know, that’s not really a trip, but … It is something like a mini vacation though since I’m not taking the dog, who hates riding in the car. H is tied up with trustee stuff at his alma mater, so he’s not coming, either. Dinner tonight with my golf buddies, which will be fun.

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I will invite Mom for Christmas but I sincerely doubt she will come.

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I get it CBB - Christmas isn’t for everyone. MP I hope your Mother decides to come as it would probably be good for both of you.

I wouldn’t do what I do around the holidays if I didn’t enjoy it. I am the type that even though I don’t need anything will go to the mall on Christmas Eve Day just to look around and maybe find that one last gift that would just be wonderful for someone. Yup - I’m officially addicted to Christmas. :slight_smile:

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In our partnership, I rely on ShawWife to make things (she’s brilliant) and buy things (though she really hates to shop). I’m better at making things happen. So, I’ve gotten ShawD a really cheap fare for her post-NP licensure exam trip to Southeast Asia (we’ll be paying for the ticket). I used Amex MR points as I’ve got so many. We’re also paying for a trip to India for ShawSon – one such trip seems to be mandated by his business school so he decided to get it out of the way in a trip run by some of his Indian friends.

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The state agency that provides services to the elderly blind requires a SSN to open a file. (I looked it up - it really is required.) My mom said she would rather not receive services than provide her SSN. I guess I could have not told her it was required and peeked at her tax returns so I could give the SSN to the agency without her knowledge. But she is still a mentally competent adult.

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I love Christmas, this year will be our first year without D1. We will visit her after. My problem is cutting down on gifts. I do too much. this year we helped D1 and BF with trip expenses to see D2. so don’t know how much else to do. I just feel like its never enough. Funny my kids are fine its just me.
I would give the sewing machine to her, if she really wants one. I wouldn’t care if I received a quality machine that was used.

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DTE - yes that is what we decided to do and YEAH!!! I get a new to me (okay used 2 days) machine that looks like a dream! Can’t wait to “play” with it.

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RM and DTE, what is your secret for getting so much done? Last night I actually put on my work out clothes and then sat down and watched TV and never left the house. I think I have a touch of SAD.

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Hmmm don’t put me in the league of RM or you MP. So you shall ask the others. How does Shaw travel all over, go to dinner parties, and help his kids etc…?

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I could include anyone here and wonder how they do everything.

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In my case, lots of help. Great wife who takes care of lots of stuff that would stymie me, great executive assistant who takes care of all kinds of things, accounting firm and financial advisers who really know what I do and am trying to accomplish, great trainer/PT, … .

Just went to a speech by and dinner with the Aga Khan at Harvard. Very interesting – community-oriented branch of Islam that believes in coexisting and cooperating with others (unlike the Saudi or Iranian version of Islam). I wish he’d get out and speak more often.

Helping ShawD with an application and ShawSon with a visa application. And last night, helped ShawWife with a residency application.

I guess that there is also a fair bit of drive involved. Just got home from the dinner and am going to get some work done.

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I’m very much a list person who loves to cross things off the list - if that makes any sense. Most of my nights I hava list of things in my head that I want to get done. On the weekends I usually write it down. Where some people might see it as a daunting task when it’s all written down I typically see it as a “plan” of what i want and will accomplish. I take time to sort it in orders that make sense. I mean if you start a load of laundry when you first get up it will be a while until it’s ready to be moved to the dryer or hanging rack - and hours or so. Grocery shopping takes about 1 hour to I’ll then run and do that. That type of thing. I am VERY organized – it’s how I get so much done and if I decide to do things different it’s okay – just re-look at the plan. I typically like to get all my “errands” out of the house done at once. Just a thing with me so tomorrow morning I’ll start washing the sheets and then go to the farmers market, the butcher shop and the grocery store before coming home changing the laundry and then starting to make a casserole and cupcakes for the Christening on Sunday. H is out tonight so planning on getting a head start tonight on the cleaning so that most of the cleaning and laundry is done before tomorrow. After the cupcakes are frosted I’ll spend some time getting dinner prepped and then I have a spa appt. After that if my schedule is correct I should have time to sit and knit. :slight_smile: See uber organized. :slight_smile: