All I want for Christmas is...

I have never procrastinated with Christmas shopping this badly before. Here we are, a spare week or so before the holiday and I have gotten about half of the gifts I planned for. And that half basically consists of a variety of gift cards for my nieces and nephews, which I'm sure you can imagine required tons of forethought.

Earlier this week I was out with the boys buying groceries and grabbed a few free car sales mags from the rack on the way out. When we arrived home, we saw that a package from Amazon had been delivered. Christmas has officially arrived.

Add to this mix a RoomsToGo Kids brochure that Tweenie loves to browse and we're all done.

Kye spent the entire afternoon in the box. Rascal helped. He was in charge of cramming the packing material on top of his brother and closing the lid, then pushing the box around the house until Kye pops out like a Jack-in-the-Box screeching with delight. Thank you, fine folks at Amazon, for not using those foam peanut thingys.

My ideal Christmas present would be to go 24 hours without having to clean anything or anyone, and the house still look - well, if not immaculate, then at least - presentable. Instead, I learned last week that I have a dental cavity which is scheduled to be filled early next week.

Husband's Christmas list for the past 10 years or so has featured such items as a big ass TV, quad, and Jet ski. He's been spending a lot of time on eBay these days. Instead, we have come to a completely mutual decision to tighten our belts a little this year, pay off the remainder of our student loans and then revisit the question in a year or two.

In truth, I think what we all want this year is to spend 2 or 3 days lounging around in our bathrobes eating Lindt truffles and waffles in the morning. Playing Clue and lazing in the hot tub (hopefully minus the applesauce this time) in the afternoon. Sipping Merlot in front of the fire in the evenings.

My sister and brother-in-law decided to not give or receive presents this year. Instead, they have donated the sum they usually spend to a charity and have encouraged the rest of our family to be more charitable, too. Every year (including this one) I have been really careful to spend equally on my children, even to the point of buying extra crap just to remain fair. How ridiculous!

Tweenie and I have decided to go through all our toys and donate everything that's not being regularly played with to Goodwill. Then, we'll assemble kits for 3rd-world countries (see the MCC website, there are some fabulous ideas) with the money I was planning to use on filler presents. It will be a fun activity to do together and will teach her to think of others at this time of year - isn't that the point?

As for the boys, they are happy enough with their cardboard box and magazines. They found out recently about the Punchbuggy Rule and enjoy pounding on each other whenever they find a Beetle listing. Husband is delighted with this manly behavior.

What more could I want?