Tuesday, December 26, 2006

An Organized Christmas

In one of the last meetings Master's had before the girls left, they were asked to share a Christmas memory. Bre tells that she shared how "organized" Christmas mornings are and how much she loves it. She told me this AFTER our gift exchange. ::snort:: I was shocked to hear that some are NOT organized...that children just tear into a pile of gifts! But, she says it's so...that our home with 9 children was the only one that was "organized". I think this must be because things would get lost, there are so many of us that no one would enjoy others receiving their gifts if we simply "let it rip", and Mike and I like to catch photos at strategic points...anyway we have an organized Christmas exchange.

We always wake early (but not this year), have breakfast and then read Scripture. We always wear our Christmas Eve Pj's (except last year when we skipped the pj's in favor of a gps unit).

After reading, we divide all the gifts into piles....each person has a laundry basket and a garbage sack. One for wrappings and one for presents, which can then be easily carried to their room after the storm of paper settles. This year we had to move the gifts from the tree in my room to the living room.... Everyone enjoyed helping with this...though the chaos nearly undid ME. ::snort::
When everyone had a nice pile, we began. I explained that since I was the only photographer this year, and we wanted photos of the gifts from Mike and I, that they all needed to find their packages from us first. Then we opened...and my camera (whose battery bar was FINE on the 24th) died. Bre and Krista took turns with their cameras. I'll have to figure out how to get their photos to the computer to post more photos. We proceed one by one through the list of gift givers.
A funny story from this year centers around the MAIN gift from Josiah, Jamin and Jared for Arielle, Nolan and Zander. They bought and set up a trampoline. As the younger ones came to find the gifts from the boys, they couldn't. They were concerned. We kept saying, "we'll keep going - it will show up." Then we said, "Well, lets clear away these gifts and we'll probably find it." We cleared. We got all the boxes broken down, we got all the garbage bags tied up, and still no gifts from the big boys. We were really waiting for the girls to delete photos so we had room to catch the moment on "film". Finally, I told them, "Well, I guess your gift isn't here....why don't you take some of this garbage out while I keep looking?" They did. Arielle stopped COLD. "Nolan, come here." Nolan stopped cold. Zander barrelled through the door, pushing them out of the way, and yelled "Woooaaa...what's THAT?" ::snort:: They were totally shocked. More stories with more photos - later. LOL
We spent the afternoon playing Dominoes (gift from Krista) and Apples To Apples (from Bre) We discovered that Krista HATES Apples to Apples. Strange.... The older 3 tried to get thier ipods working...I cooked Chicken Divan (requested by Cy) and played games...and frosted the Cheescake (requested by Krista) and made a cheeseball (requested by Bre)....

Zander realized that Bre is totally freaked out by his new toy tarantula...she kept flinging it across the room. It is a radio control spider.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

SIS: Ah! Yes! Memories! That's what life is made of when it comes to families etc.

Bet the younger 3 were happy and amazed with a new trampoline. What a great gift!

l/p

Debbie said...

Ugh...a radio controled tarantula! They would have to carry me out on a stretcher! I'll pick up snacks, frogs, shoot rats and butcher chickens, but get a spider near me and I totally freak out! That thing wouldn't last an hour with me around.

Love the trampoline story. How fun for the little ones.

We also have a very organized Christmas. I can't stand it to be chaotic. I like to see what everyone gets.

Kristine said...

Even with two kids, I can't imagine uncontrolled chaos! The kids distribute our things into individual piles also. I have my paper and pen out, making every one take a turn so I can keep track of what they get. I keep it handy later to shove under their noses when relatives call so they can be thanked for exactly what they sent! I can look back on each Christmas video, and there I am, repeating over and over, "Wait!" "Wait!" "WAIT!!"

Jen said...

I like the basket and trash bag idea. As one of those people who enjoys giving gifts and seeing people open them, I insist on organized opening too. I go nuts at my ILs where it is a free for all and no one knows who got what from whom! Yikes.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

How FUNNY - maybe we're not so strange afterall. LOL

Emily said...

We always have a VERY organized Christmas too. We open one present at at time and I also have a bag or HUGE box for garbage. Each child keeps his things in a pile - and we take it nice and slow - I LOVE it that way and I can't stand chaos :-)

Romany said...

LOL! We do the one at a time gift thing too. I thought everyone did!

Maybe it's a homeschooler thing?

Sounds like you had a lovely day.

Shame about your camera!

Dorothy

Cynthia said...

Maybe it is a homeschooler thing? We've always done "organized" opening as well, but never thought to call it that (LOL)! We all have a certain spot where we sit... same every year >VBG>! We have worn out gift bag or one of those shopping mall department store bags (big paper ones) that sits between each of so 2 people can share the garbage. The boys make a "sport" of wadding up their wrapping and making a "basket" into the garbage (LOL)! We go around the room and we decide what the next person gets to open.. whoever it's from usually goes to sit close to the person opening it so I can get a picture of giver and receiver! Our living room still ends up being quite a mess with stuff spread everywhere, but when we're done it all goes back into each person's "area" so the grandparents can come over later in the day and see what each child got. FWIW, we open one at a time when we open with the grandparents as well.

Heather said...

Our Christmas is also very civilized. We each take turns opening a gift so that we can all enjoy the reactions and then the paper gets put into trash bags and the gifts are stacked neatly in piles for each person to take to their rooms when done. I just spoke to Teresa B. They are also one of the civilized bunch. However to balance us out, my brother's house is Oh so Chaotic and they only have 2 girls! lol

Renee said...

DeEtta,
We too made a pile in front of each recipient. THen we go in order (youngest to oldest) and each open one gift.... we managed to make gift opening last for 35 minutes this year.... and there were less gifts than other years because a number of folks sent cash instead of gifts and it was too late for me to do online shopping before christmas

Linda said...

An organized Christmas! I love it! We are also organized. I even converted my husband's family after one year of chaos. I like to be able to see people open what I've spent a lot of time choosing for them!

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Frankly.....we don't give the children lots of gifts..usually one each...but they give one each to each other...and well it takes us well over 35 mintues to open...near the end I ALMOST said "All right - let er rip and get this over with! " Almost....not quite. LOL