(no subject)

[rivka]

I am so much more excited about Christmas for the kids than I am about anything that I might get. It's funny - I think it's so obnoxious when other people say "Christmas is just for kids," and I get all indignant on behalf of adults who are on the receiving end of that kind of comment. And yet that's how I feel for myself.

It's not that I'm anti-Christmas at all. I love a lot of things about Christmas:
- The pageant and the potluck dinner at church on Christmas Eve.
- Watching my favorite Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Sreet.
- Everything related to the Christmas tree: decorating it, smelling its fresh Christmassy scent, sitting in a darkened living room with the tree lights shining.
- Singing carols and listening to Christmas music.
- Watching the West Wing episode "In Excelsis Deo" with Michael. (We do that every year.)
- Reading Christmas stories, like Connie Willis' Miracle.

...But the Christmas morning present spectacular is all about the kids for me these days. I find it harder and harder to think of things I might like. Things they might like, on the other hand... OMG. Buying presents for the kids is so much fun.

This year Alex asked for an "old-fashioned dollhouse" to replace her old pink plastic one. Last time we visited my parents we brought home a box of my childhood dollhouse furniture, which she loved looking through. She's reasonably careful with her toys, so we've gone ahead and boughtSanta will be bringing her an absolutely beautiful dollhouse she can grow with. It comes as a kit and will need to be assembled post-Christmas.

From us she is getting:
- The first 25 books in the Secrets of Droon children's fantasy series, which I just scored off eBay in a fantastic deal ($24.70 for all 25 books!). I got the first one at a thrift store a while back, and Alex read and looooved it. It's completely formulaic Extruded Fantasy Product, but all those tropes are new to her, and (unlike better fantasy series) she can read the books herself. She's going to be very excited to have them.
- A Nutcracker ballet fold-out theater and paper doll play set.
- A beginner's origami book (suitable for her age) and some origami paper.

Colin is giving her:
- A book and CD of ballet stories. She asked for Swan Lake tickets, if you can believe it, in her letter to Santa. No, we are not taking a five-year-old to Swan Lake. But she can read about it and hear some of the music with this gift.

Colin's entire supply of Christmas gifts so far is coming from the toy manufacturers Melissa & Doug. What can I say? They understand toddlers, and they sell reasonably well-made wooden toys which aren't as expensive as the heirloom toy companies' things.

Santa is bringing Colin a realistic miniature metal shopping cart with wooden play food.

From us, he is getting:
- A latches board to practice opening and closing various fasteners. Colin is pretty much the exact kid this toy was designed for. He's going to loooove it.
- Little wooden rescue vehicles. They are the same scale as our wooden train set, which is a nice bonus.

Alex hasn't decided what she's getting him yet.

Comments

[ailbhe]

Emer once said "You made a party in my house!" and I think Making Christmas is a huge part of the joy, and making Christmas for people to whom it's all joy and no work, family stress etc is absolutely awesome. Lots of awe, in fact.

There's a different pleasure, later, in making Christmas *with* them, and having them make bits of it for us; I'm looking forward to that part.

(We have a M&D box set of instruments which are brilliant. And loud, but not unpleasant to hear).

[geminigirl]

Naomi loves the latch board. It's one of the first things she runs for when we're at the JCC.

[shandra.livejournal.com]

Just a slight warning about the (AWESOME) latches board - it works. They learn how to open EVERYTHING.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Hee! Sadly, he already can. He knows how to unlock my cell phone and make a call, even.

[aloha-moira.livejournal.com]

Every time I see that latches board I wonder why on EARTH anyone would want their kid to be MORE proficient at getting into stuff. But I suppose if they've already figured it out the board could be a nice distraction? :)

[rms10.livejournal.com]

OMG, we've been joking that we need a toy with a billion doors for my (14-month-old) son. And I think that latches board is exactly what we are looking for.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

I think that "Christmas is for the children" can be a false dichotomy. Both adults and children can learn the joy of building what amounts to a long running happy ritual. (Um. The ritual being "celebrating Christmas" and it's "ritual" because it's intentional energy space, and um... I've got too many specialized definitions, don't I?)

But, I do think that there are times when it's good to have an agreement that Christmas presents are for children.

[torontoteacher.livejournal.com]

When my boys were in love with those rescue vehicles? Some well meaning person got them the set with all the street signs. Added a whole new dimension to the play.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I saw those! They did look really cool, but I think Colin's a year or so away from being able to do anything with them.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Among the things that have really added dimension to block toys when I was teaching:
Rescue vehicles and the signs
Mixing them with Brio trains
MY LITTLE PONY -- amazing how that happened, but they just ... mix well. Kids build for them.
Matchbox cars / Hotwheels

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I find it harder and harder to think of things I might like.

Yes, definitely.

OTOH, a dollhouse!!!! Oh, the memories. :)

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Those presents look like so much fun. I can see why you're excited about giving them and watching them get used.

I never had an all-about-the-kids stage, maybe because I was never a parent to preschoolers. The years when I celebrated with small niece and nephews, and the first years of celebrating with my new stepchildren, were fun in a different way, though, because the amazing presents were complete surprises and relatively inexpensive.